stand your ground law
noun
variants
or less commonly Stand Your Ground law
criminal law
: a law providing immunity from prosecution with no duty to retreat for a person who is threatened with harm while lawfully in a place and who uses force including deadly force in the reasonable belief that such force is necessary to prevent their own or another person's death or great bodily injury
At least 22 states now have stand your ground laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, but all US states give wide latitude to homeowners who kill intruders, as long as their fears of injury were reasonable.—
Patrik Jonsson
Patrik Jonsson[John] Milburn said that after years of judicial decisions on the stand your ground law and others on self-defense, "It may be prudent for the legislature to review all of them to ensure they are being interpreted and are working as intended."—John Hanna and Heather Hollingsworth
John Hanna and Heather HollingsworthExamples of stand your ground law in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Research shows that stand your ground laws increase homicide and exacerbate racial disparities.
—Caroline Light, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2025
Eastwood, who has been a prosecutor for more than 25 years, said the case is complex due to the language of the state's stand your ground law.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 7 Nov. 2025
The organization works to support families affected by racial and gun violence while also pushing for changes to policies like Stand Your Ground laws.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
In the past 20 years, nearly 30 states have followed Florida and passed their own stand your ground laws, according to FindLaw.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
However, research has shown that stand your ground laws not only increase rates of violence and homicides in states that implement them, but are disproportionately used against people of color.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Lorincz, who invoked Florida’s Stand Your Ground laws, stood trial last year.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Moody rejected Dooley’s claim of self-defense under Florida’s stand your ground law.
—Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
The trial tested the state’s controversial Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to use deadly force in self-defense in certain situations.
—Chris Boyette, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
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Caroline Light, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2025
Eastwood, who has been a prosecutor for more than 25 years, said the case is complex due to the language of the state's stand your ground law.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 7 Nov. 2025
The organization works to support families affected by racial and gun violence while also pushing for changes to policies like Stand Your Ground laws.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
In the past 20 years, nearly 30 states have followed Florida and passed their own stand your ground laws, according to FindLaw.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
However, research has shown that stand your ground laws not only increase rates of violence and homicides in states that implement them, but are disproportionately used against people of color.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025
Lorincz, who invoked Florida’s Stand Your Ground laws, stood trial last year.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Moody rejected Dooley’s claim of self-defense under Florida’s stand your ground law.
—Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
The trial tested the state’s controversial Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to use deadly force in self-defense in certain situations.
—Chris Boyette, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Stand your ground law.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand%20your%20ground%20law. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
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