as in legal
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in sanctioned
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
Related Words
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 legalized
Julie Darling, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The federal government does not enforce drug laws for marijuana in the same way as other drugs, as more states have legalized the drug.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 2 Mar. 2026
In 2017, lawmakers passed a bill that legalized charter schools but did not provide a way to fund them.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
Data shows the number of calls it’s gotten from people under the age of 21 has jumped since sports betting was legalized.
—Ashley Borja, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Those apps have age verification procedures to require users are at least the minimum age under applicable state laws, with states that have legalized sports betting setting 18 or 21 as the minimum age.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Data shows the number of calls it’s gotten from people under the age of 21 has jumped since sports betting was legalized.
—Ashley Borja, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
The legislators also believe their bill is necessary to prevent people from becoming addicted to gambling, a problem that has grown since Colorado legalized sports betting in 2020.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
After Congress legalized hemp in 2018, Wisconsin never passed state laws regulating the avalanche of products that quickly proliferated in gas stations and smoke shops.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Now that aldermen have legalized them, the contract between Bally’s and the city will be reopened, jeopardizing a $4 million payment guaranteed to the city each year from Bally’s.
—Julie Darling, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The federal government does not enforce drug laws for marijuana in the same way as other drugs, as more states have legalized the drug.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 2 Mar. 2026
In 2017, lawmakers passed a bill that legalized charter schools but did not provide a way to fund them.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
Data shows the number of calls it’s gotten from people under the age of 21 has jumped since sports betting was legalized.
—Ashley Borja, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Those apps have age verification procedures to require users are at least the minimum age under applicable state laws, with states that have legalized sports betting setting 18 or 21 as the minimum age.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Data shows the number of calls it’s gotten from people under the age of 21 has jumped since sports betting was legalized.
—Ashley Borja, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2026
The legislators also believe their bill is necessary to prevent people from becoming addicted to gambling, a problem that has grown since Colorado legalized sports betting in 2020.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
After Congress legalized hemp in 2018, Wisconsin never passed state laws regulating the avalanche of products that quickly proliferated in gas stations and smoke shops.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalized
Adjective
-
The attorneys have requested a temporary restraining order from the court, which would halt the law’s enforcement while the legal challenge plays out.—
David Williams,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The administration has failed to provide any evidence that the people killed in the attacks were attempting to bring drugs into the country, and legal experts have taken umbrage at the assertion that drug traffickers can be considered armed combatants.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The United States and most of Europe have sanctioned Iranian crude for years.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Four individuals have been sanctioned, including Rwandan army chief of staff Vincent Nyakarundi and the chief of the defense staff.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The good news is that there are several legitimate strategies to reduce or defer that bill, from gold IRAs to mining stocks to tax-loss harvesting.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Loss of jobs, especially if whole industries or professions (including journalism) are nearly destroyed, is a legitimate concern, as is AI’s effect on our thinking skills.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But New York’s Court of Appeals tossed the guilty verdicts in April 2024, finding that the trial court judge, James Burke, shouldn’t have permitted three women to testify about rape and abuse allegations that weren’t tied to the charges.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the number of people living in RVs dropped nearly 20% from the previous quarter, from 529 to 435, 259 of which were permitted.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The deal aligns Grok with the Defense Department’s standard terms, permitting use of the model for any lawful purpose and creating a formal pathway for deployment beyond unclassified systems.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Mar. 2026
-
This past week, in the lead-up to the attack on Iran, the Defense Department demanded Anthropic hand over its AI without restrictions for lawful military use.—
March 1,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Because the airwaves were public property licensed to private stations, the government imposed conditions to ensure no single political voice monopolized them.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
-
But these hotels weren’t licensed.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ryan jumped out to a 17-2 lead across the first six minutes of game time and never allowed Walnut Grove to get closer than within nine points the rest of the way.—
John Fields,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Shagwendola Jerna Crawford Macomb County Prosecutor's Office Prosecutors say that the victim allowed Crawford to move in with him in 2018.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Formula 1 manufacturers have approved changes to the engine testing rules for 2026 following the compression ratio row that has lasted through the offseason.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The state’s Codes and Standards Committee, which reviews changes to building and fire codes, negotiated with local fire officials and approved a measure late last year that would allow single stairs for buildings of up to four stories.—
CT Mirror,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalized. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
