as in to permit
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legalize
New York's booming cannabis market New York, New Jersey and Connecticut all legalized recreational pot in 2021.
—
Ali Bauman, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The president did not legalize psychedelics or weed, but his orders change the way these drugs will be regulated.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
But as more lawmakers move to legalize and decriminalize possession and use of marijuana, more medical researchers are diving into learning more about how the drug affects the human body.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Those federal barriers remained in place even as roughly half of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and even more have approved it for medical use.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Ali Bauman, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The president did not legalize psychedelics or weed, but his orders change the way these drugs will be regulated.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
But as more lawmakers move to legalize and decriminalize possession and use of marijuana, more medical researchers are diving into learning more about how the drug affects the human body.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Those federal barriers remained in place even as roughly half of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and even more have approved it for medical use.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalize
Verb
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This is the last month (until September) in which this biggest of planets is high enough in a dark sky to permit crisp telescopic views of its cloud patterns and four big satellites.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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Central to those cases is the idea that college athletes, at least football players at the power conference level, are a labor market that sells services and that the NCAA permitting colleges to directly pay athletes is consistent with a pro league and teams that buy athlete services.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The Federation of State Medical Boards suggested that doctors who didn’t aggressively treat pain could be sanctioned.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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Michigan sanctioned the branding policy earlier this year.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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This spring, Minnesota state lawmakers are considering legislation (SF 3769/HF 3609) to further enforce compliance with the 340B program, which allows qualifying medical facilities to buy medications from pharmaceutical companies at a discount.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
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The ball bounced behind him to Taylor Walls, but the Rays shortstop couldn’t field it cleanly, either, allowing Story to break for home and beat the throw.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The board approved more than $12,000 in expenses for travel that was completed nine months ago.—
Jeff Abell,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
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This is something that should never have been approved.—
Curt Anderson,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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If portions of the page appear blank and an ad blocker is enabled, please disable the ad blocker and refresh the page to ensure full access to the content.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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Using magnetic fields, this system enables power transfer to electric ships without physical metal contact, shielding vital components from nature’s corrosive elements.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Verb
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As a master barber, licensed real estate agent, and father of six, Cathcart approaches his work with care, precision, and a deep sense of responsibility to his community.—
Samantha Stokes,
Essence,
6 May 2026
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During Bob Bakish’s years as CEO of Paramount, the company licensed marquee properties like Yellowstone and South Park to third-party buyers in multi-year, eyebrow-raising deals.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalize. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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