CRIMINALIZING Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

criminalizing

verb

present participle of criminalize

as in outlawing

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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Recent Examples of criminalizing Street vendors rallied outside Oakland City Hall Thursday, accusing the city of criminalizing people who are trying to earn a living as officials step up enforcement against unpermitted vending. — Da Lin, CBS News, 14 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 Michael Olson, policy counsel for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, said criminalizing the distribution of sterile syringes is a mistake. — Maya Henry, Oklahoma Watch, 30 June 2026 According to Human Rights Watch, at least 67 countries have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults, and at least nine have criminalize forms of gender expression. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 20 June 2026 Civil liberties advocates say the settlement underscores First Amendment protections for controversial online speech and warns law enforcement nationwide to tread carefully when criminalizing social media posts. — R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026 Under President John Adams, the Federalists sought to eradicate French ideological influence by raising the bar to citizenship, lowering the bar to deportation, and criminalizing malicious criticism of the federal government. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 Maintain local control, protect public spaces and stop criminalizing people for sleeping outside when no safe alternative exists. — Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026 Chenoweth says authoritarians are getting better at controlling information flow, criminalizing protest, hardening security and police forces, and coordinating with other authoritarians. — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for criminalizing

Verb

Denver has also considered outlawing natural gas in homes after implementing new restrictions on its use in commercial buildings.

— Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2026
But in the late 1970s, the country followed other nations in outlawing marijuana, and chased away the hippies who had flocked to the country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of outlawing

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criminalizes

criminalizing

criminal lawyer

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“Criminalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/criminalizing. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of criminalizing

verb

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