as in legal
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as in sanctioned
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalized
Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
With sports gambling legalized throughout much of the country and growing rapidly, the NCAA and the sports gambling industry should be hearing shrill alarm bells in this indictment and acting accordingly.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026
Yet Michigan and Missouri have also legalized recreational cannabis.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
This legalized things derived from hemp that are not psychoactive, like CBD and agricultural products like grains and fibers for textiles.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
Athletic programs, through their collectives, were paying athletes multi-million dollar contracts to transfer to their schools, and the bidding war seemingly intensified for top players each year since NIL was legalized in 2021.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
The domestic opportunities with media rights deals — the largest source of income for major professional sports associations — and legalized sports betting were then compelling enough to keep leagues focused at home.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
As of December 2025, 40 states had legalized medical marijuana and more than 20 states had legalized recreational use, according to DISA Global Solutions.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
For five years, from fourth through eighth grade, Block was a victim of a 1987 Texas court ruling that legalized home schooling.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2026
Verb
Every state bordering Pennsylvania has legalized adult-use cannabis, except for West Virginia which has a strict and limited medical program.
—Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
With sports gambling legalized throughout much of the country and growing rapidly, the NCAA and the sports gambling industry should be hearing shrill alarm bells in this indictment and acting accordingly.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026
Yet Michigan and Missouri have also legalized recreational cannabis.
—Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
This legalized things derived from hemp that are not psychoactive, like CBD and agricultural products like grains and fibers for textiles.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
Athletic programs, through their collectives, were paying athletes multi-million dollar contracts to transfer to their schools, and the bidding war seemingly intensified for top players each year since NIL was legalized in 2021.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
The domestic opportunities with media rights deals — the largest source of income for major professional sports associations — and legalized sports betting were then compelling enough to keep leagues focused at home.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
As of December 2025, 40 states had legalized medical marijuana and more than 20 states had legalized recreational use, according to DISA Global Solutions.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
For five years, from fourth through eighth grade, Block was a victim of a 1987 Texas court ruling that legalized home schooling.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalized
Adjective
-
The case over access to the legal system was one of three federal lawsuits challenging practices at the immigration detention center.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In December, the Education Department entered into a settlement agreement with Missouri and the other states that brought the original legal challenge.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Four Guyanese nationals and two Colombians were sanctioned for allegedly trafficking tons of cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Authorities have arrested 36 people for their role in the transnational organization and the treasury department has sanctioned 19 people, including Wedding, according to Davis.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The sheer human devastation witnessed by the half-dozen people pretending to eat their lunch in here could nullify any legitimate emotional experience within twenty city blocks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Rubio said Maduro was not a legitimate head of state, noting that more than 50 countries — including the United States, the European Union and most of Latin America — rejected the results of Venezuela’s disputed 2024 presidential election.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Officers are permitted to pursue parallel in the correct direction on the highway.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Jan. 2026
-
That leaves room for about 400 more homes in the area, Brewer said — 236 already permitted, and space for an additional 165 or so that might be developed on vacant land already inside the city’s boundaries.—
Mark Dee
January 27,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Only qualified noncitizens, like lawful permanent residents and refugees, are eligible for benefits, and some must complete a five-year waiting period.—
Ari Fife,
The Frontier,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The point is to intimidate and chill lawful newsgathering.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bell pressed ahead with the show, loon references and all, and licensed it to HBO.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Sinclair laid the foundation for his work using mice in preclinical trials, Life Biosciences then licensed the technology from Harvard and Sinclair’s lab to test on non-human primates to better match the human eye’s anatomy.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Marrus insisted that Troy Canty should be arrested the instant he was allowed to leave the hospital but also that his bail be set at $1,000—an amount this teen would never be able to pay.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Again, the intention behind his decision to flip the puck deep and go for a change was impeccable, but there was another option there that might have allowed the Canadiens to possess the puck a bit longer.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The deal approved Friday appeared to resolve that tension.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In mid-May, the council approved a three-year contract capped at $900,000.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalized. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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