federal case

noun

: big deal
don't make a federal case out of it

Examples of federal case in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In the federal case, Derrick Thompson’s attorney, Matthew Deates, sought a sentence of 10 years, the mandatory minimum, to be served at the same time as his state prison sentence. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026 Jon Hallford was sentenced to 20 years in the federal case and 40 years in the state case. Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026 Jon Hallford was sentenced to 20 years in the federal case and 40 years in the state case. ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026 After eight months of what the government says was an attack on a North Texas ICE detention center, the federal case is now nearly in the hands of the jury. Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for federal case

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of federal case was in 1950

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Federal case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federal%20case. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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