as in to permit
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 legalize
Twice that many shut down in 2024. California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use, in 1996.
—
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025
But to build, San Jose needs to legalize lower-cost mid-density housing (roughly 20 to 35 units per acre) where high density housing is impossible.
—Robert Chapman Wood, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
This is the second time the state House has passed legislation to legalize fentanyl test strips and the second time that VOCAL-TX has confronted a senator for declining to hear the bill.
—Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
Marijuana laws: 24 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025
But to build, San Jose needs to legalize lower-cost mid-density housing (roughly 20 to 35 units per acre) where high density housing is impossible.
—Robert Chapman Wood, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
This is the second time the state House has passed legislation to legalize fentanyl test strips and the second time that VOCAL-TX has confronted a senator for declining to hear the bill.
—Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 23 July 2025
Marijuana laws: 24 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalize
Verb
-
Democrats in the state Senate have proposed a constitutional amendment to permit mid-decade redistricting, but this would require a referendum that could only be held in 2027 at the earliest, City and State reported.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
The state is ranked 43rd in housing affordability and permitting for new housing units is down almost 40% compared to the period before the 2008 Great Recession, Moore said.—
Bryan P. Sears,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This suggests a concerning disconnect between some employers and their staff, and that workers in these situations have little faith the abusers will be banned or sanctioned by their employers.—
Jo Causon,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Trump on Wednesday imposed 50% tariffs on the South American heavyweight, following through on his threat to retaliate against Brazil’s prosecution of his ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, on coup charges; Washington also sanctioned the judge overseeing the case.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
Morning tickets allow access to the festival and ships from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., evening tickets allow entrance from 2-6 p.m.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
9 Aug. 2025
-
The Madison Police Department allows pursuits only in cases where probable cause exists that a violent crime is about to be or has just been committed.—
Jack Albright,
jsonline.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Levine Cava has said multiple times that county commissioners may revisit their May 6 decision to approve the mayor’s midyear spending package that included the final $10.5 million approved for the overall $46 million contribution to World Cup.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The product is approved for children as young as 2 years old and up to adults aged 49.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That should enable the chain to reach enough critical mass for coordinated advertising to compete with more established fast-food restaurants for market share.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Always Active These Cookies and SDKs are required for Service functionality, including security and fraud prevention, and to enable any purchasing capabilities.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The same is true for the three additional games ESPN will now license.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Two of the company’s flagship shows, Yellowstone and South Park, were licensed to other streaming services for a cash influx.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Democracy supporters opposed to the junta have warned the international community against falling for the military’s election plan, and say such a poll will never be accepted by the people.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Another issue is that the short-term solutions — often called levers — previously deployed to raise money to spend on transfers have not always been accepted by La Liga, who want the club to be run in a more sustainable way.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalize. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share