decriminalize

Definition of decriminalizenext

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of decriminalize Put aside for a moment the blatant sexism in this bill given that 90% of rapists are men who rape women, and this law effectively decriminalizes rape. Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 17 Nov. 2025 Male homosexuality wasn’t decriminalized in Britain until 1967. Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025 Anutin as health minister in the pre-2023 government pushed to decriminalize cannabis, while the Pheu Thai government tried to reverse that. Chad De Guzman, Time, 5 Sep. 2025 While there are at least five bills filed to decriminalize or legalize some form of marijuana, there are also at least two bills filed by other Republicans to outlaw signs advertising marijuana products or businesses in some capacity. Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 14 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decriminalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decriminalize
legalize
Verb
  • Aldermen legalized video gambling machines in neighborhood establishments, restructured liquor taxes to bring in more revenue, cleared the way for advertising on downtown bridges and more.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
  • But a 2022 study by Spectrum Gaming of other states that have legalized iLottery, such as Michigan in Pennsylvania, concluded that retail sales grew roughly in parallel to iLottery sales.
    Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Decriminalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decriminalize. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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