ILLEGALLY Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

illegally

adverb

as in dirty

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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 illegally That year, Canyon County faced three lawsuits from people who alleged they were illegally held in jail, despite posting bond, because the county refused to release them due to their undocumented immigration status. — Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 The trio, including the outlet’s editor-in-chief, claimed they were illegally pushed out over personal statements protected under the First Amendment. — Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 That year, the head trainer of the Commanders was found to have been illegally distributing oxycodone to players — an unsettling reminder of the NFL's difficult history with painkillers. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Both victims were illegally choked to death by white police officers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 The government illegally retaliated against Anthropic by designating it a supply-chain risk to national security, said yesterday’s ruling by Judge Rita Lin in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 More recently came a 2020 investigation of the head trainer for the Washington Commanders for illegally distributing oxycodone to players. — Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 Krasner said Nipsey's was operating illegally and the owners tried to make the building look abandoned from the outside. — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 The day Demings sent the letter, Orlando federal judge Paul Byron criticized the rebooking practice at a hearing for an immigrant who’d claimed he was illegally detained. — Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegally

unethically

Adverb

The new cathode replaces toxic, expensive, and unethically mined cobalt with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) embedded in a carbon matrix.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2026
Uber’s campaign accused trial attorneys of unethically abusing their clients and attorneys said the company is attempting restructure longstanding civil justice laws to escape accountability for harm caused by its drivers.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026

Definition of unethically

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illegalizing

illegally

illegible

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“Illegally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegally. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of illegally

adverb

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