as in to permit
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalize
Critics of the petition process often compare the Missouri Constitution to a thick book that can be updated with few hurdles, such as the 39 pages added after voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.
—
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2026
The accountant, 33, said his gambling problems started after New York launched legalized mobile sports betting in January 2022.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
As of 2026, 39 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico offer legalized sports betting, an activity that, with betting apps on phones, is easy to partake in.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The bipartisan bill — Senate Bill 131 — was introduced earlier this year with the intention of slowing gambling habits after a group of politicians heard warnings about increasing gambling addiction since Colorado legalized online sports betting in May 2020.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2026
The accountant, 33, said his gambling problems started after New York launched legalized mobile sports betting in January 2022.
—Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
As of 2026, 39 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico offer legalized sports betting, an activity that, with betting apps on phones, is easy to partake in.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The bipartisan bill — Senate Bill 131 — was introduced earlier this year with the intention of slowing gambling habits after a group of politicians heard warnings about increasing gambling addiction since Colorado legalized online sports betting in May 2020.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalize
Verb
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Hernandez will continue competing under CIF rules permitting transgender participation and is scheduled to compete Saturday, May 16, before advancing to the CIF finals in Clovis later this month.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Current law permits officers who receive waivers to continue working until age 60, despite the standard mandatory retirement age of 57 or after 20 years of service, whichever comes later.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Aghamiri was sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom in 2023 over human rights abuses linked to the crackdown on protests in Iran.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
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The Florida Supreme Court should be extremely cautious about sanctioning a system where speed seems to matter more than justice.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Starter Anthony Kay helped the Sox complete a three-game sweep, allowing two runs over a career-high six-plus innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
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If the Jets defense can improve from allowing the second-most points in the league to average, the Jets could flirt with making a playoff bid in 2026.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The La Mesa City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve the ordinance.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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After first applying for resettlement in Jordan, in 2004, the family was finally approved to move to Kentucky, in February, 2025.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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That can enable major cost reductions, especially in functions like HR, finance, customer service, and IT.—
Paul Goydan,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
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While Capital One's lawsuit seeks damages, the bank said its primary goal of the litigation is to expose and deter bad actors and the firms that enable them.—
Stephanie Dhue,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
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An agreement for Disney to get an equity position in the massive start-up in exchange for licensing select characters also was jettisoned.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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In April, leading AI company OpenAI launched its own version of OpenEvidence called ChatGPT for Clinicians, but the service does not currently license the same top-tier medical information accessible to OpenEvidence users.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalize. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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