gag order

noun

: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wagstaffe has declined to offer details about that review, citing a gag order in the case. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 4 June 2025 After the release, Lively's legal team demanded a gag order be issued against Baldoni's lawyer, Bryan Freedman. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 5 May 2025 On Tuesday, March 18, less than a week after the gag order was implemented, the author’s lawyers filed a request to dismiss the order, according to The Verge and CNN. Sam Gillette, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025 Petition for writ of certiorari granted; writ issued; circuit court's gag order vacated. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for gag order

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gag order was in 1906

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gag order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gag%20order. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

gag order

see order sense 3b

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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