gag order

noun

Definition of gag order

: a judicial ruling barring public disclosure or discussion (as by the press) of information related to a case broadly : a similar nonjudicial prohibition against the release of confidential information or against public discussion of a sensitive matter

Examples of gag order in a Sentence

The judge has issued a gag order.

Recent Examples on the Web

The prosecutors also suggested they were concerned Ms. Butina’s lawyers might have pressured her to plead guilty, which would end the prosecution and thereby avoid any sanctions from the judge for violating the gag order. — Byron Tau, WSJ, "Maria Butina Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Influence U.S. Politics," 13 Dec. 2018 The gag order led to news outlets in the U.K. removing their reporting from their websites to comply with the order. — Fox News, "Right-wing activist Tommy Robinson reportedly jailed after filming outside child grooming trial," 26 May 2018 Denhollander sued to get the second gag order lifted (a federal judge ruled in her favor and it was modified). — Jason Schmidt, Glamour, "The Army of Women Who Took Down Larry Nassar," 30 Oct. 2018 Pharmacy benefit managers also said gag orders are not typical. — Susan Jaffe, Washington Post, "Looking For Lower Medicare Drug Costs? Ask Your Pharmacist For The Cash Price.," 30 May 2018 Afterward, the trial judge, Stephanie B. Manis, placed a gag order on Al-Amin to prevent him from speaking. — Obaid H. Siddiqui, The Root, "The Unofficial Gag Order of Jamil Al-Amin (H. Rap Brown): 16 Years in Prison, Still Not Allowed to Speak," 30 May 2018 Freed from a gag order that had mostly silenced him in recent weeks, Al Watkins was ready to talk. — Bryan Lowry, kansascity, "St. Louis lawyer reveals more details about mysterious $100,000 in cash | The Kansas City Star," 15 May 2018 The money became a subject of intense scrutiny in the lead-up to the governor’s trial, and Watkins became a witness under gag order until the case’s dismissal Monday. — Bryan Lowry, kansascity, "St. Louis lawyer reveals more details about mysterious $100,000 in cash | The Kansas City Star," 15 May 2018 Gibson opposed the gag order, but out of caution, Hopkins canceled a photo appointment with The Enquirer. — Anne Saker, Cincinnati.com, "Mason man starts with knee replacement, ends up with amputated leg," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gag order.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.