on trial

idiom

: in a situation in which evidence against one is presented in a court to a judge and often a jury to decide if one is guilty of a crime

on trial for murder

She went on trial for possession of drugs.

—sometimes used figuratively to indicate that people will think about something in a critical way

The controversial case has put the entire health care system on trial.

Examples of on trial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yoon is on trial for insurrection over his brief declaration of martial law in 2024, as well as a number of other allegations. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026

The former banker had been scheduled to go on trial in March. —Chris Dolmetsch, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026

Adam Barnett, a polished Miami penny-stock salesman with a penchant for beautiful women and expensive sneakers, spent weeks on trial accused of paying a fellow inmate to arrange the murder of a key witness and his ex-defense lawyer. —Sydney Pereira, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026

Arrest these agents and put them on trial. —Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for on trial

• dial
• rial
• thiol
• vial
• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• sensorial
• supervisorial