CRIMINALIZE Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

criminalize

verb

ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌlīz

Definition of criminalize

as in to outlaw

to make or declare contrary to the law wanted to criminalize an activity that the mountaineers had been engaging in for generations

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of criminalize Leno said the bill ensures classic car owners aren’t criminalized for driving their vehicles on a limited basis. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Only Scorpio is still open, but both served as important spaces for LGBTQ+ people during a time when homosexuality was criminalized. — Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026 This contrasts sharply with a federal judge's decision days earlier, blocking Minnesota from criminalizing prediction markets, a win for Kalshi and the CFTC who argue federal preemption. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Nicaragua’s last election in 2021 was widely disputed after Ortega detained opponents and business leaders and criminalized dissent. — CNN Money, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for criminalize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminalize

Verb

Increasingly, schools are outlawing mobile phones — as Maryland did in May of this year — and digital detox retreats are rising in popularity.

— Thu T. Nguyen, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2026
Those of us with a platform need to use our voices before speaking out is outlawed altogether.

— Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of outlaw

Verb

And earlier this year, the nation’s second largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, banned in-school screen use for students in preschool through first grade and curbed screen time for older students.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Walruses were once hunted in vast numbers, for their blubber, hides and ivory, driving them close to extinction in Svalbard’s waters, before hunting was banned in 1952.

— Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of ban

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criminality

criminalize

criminalized

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“Criminalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminalize. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of criminalize

verb

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