press charges
idiom
: to take legal action against someone : to officially accuse someone of a crime
He was caught shoplifting, but the store owner didn't press charges.
Examples of press charges in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a condition of Ellis' plea deal, prosecutors promised not to press charges related to any new information that might come to light through an ongoing investigation into dozens of animals found dead or in critical condition at the scene.
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Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The parents of two of the kids wanted to press charges, police said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Prosecutors ultimately declined to press charges against Kennedy, and Lewber told PEOPLE during an exclusive interview in April that the altercation was only verbal.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 8 July 2025
The other student’s family ultimately decided not to press charges.
—Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for press charges
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Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 4 Aug. 2025
The parents of two of the kids wanted to press charges, police said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Prosecutors ultimately declined to press charges against Kennedy, and Lewber told PEOPLE during an exclusive interview in April that the altercation was only verbal.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 8 July 2025
The other student’s family ultimately decided not to press charges.
—Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for press charges
Cite this Entry
“Press charges.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/press%20charges. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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