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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Serrano’s federal case stemmed from a 2004 drug arrest, but the following year Serrano was implicated in a more serious crime — taking over the elderly woman’s home with several other gang members. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026 The filing is part of an ongoing federal case in New York brought by civil rights groups challenging a policy of arresting people at immigration courts. Laura Romero, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026 He was accompanied by his business partner, Antonio Intriago, who is also a defendant in the federal case. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026 Furthermore, in federal cases like this one, co-defendants are generally prohibited from communicating with each other. María Santana, CNN Money, 25 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

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Cite this Entry

“Federal case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federal%20case. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.

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