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
Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 15 May 2026
Marijuana itself has also not been legalized for medical use.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 15 May 2026
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
It's been five years since New York legalized recreational marijuana.
—Ali Bauman, CBS News, 24 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
Verb
The problem of companies substituting hemp for marijuana dates to 2018, when Congress legalized hemp, a close cousin of marijuana that has only trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound that makes people high.
—Christopher Osher, ProPublica, 15 May 2026
Marijuana itself has also not been legalized for medical use.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 15 May 2026
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
It's been five years since New York legalized recreational marijuana.
—Ali Bauman, CBS News, 24 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalized
Adjective
-
The Sun forms a cazimi with Mercury in Taurus in your 9th House of Perspective, bringing a powerful insight around travel, education, publishing, legal matters, or a goal that stretches your worldview.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
Murdaugh, the scion of a prominent South Carolina legal dynasty, was convicted in March 2023 in the murder of his 22-year-old son, Paul, and his wife, Margaret.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Verb
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More than 20 states have now sanctioned it as a girls' high school varsity sport and NFL clubs voted in December 2025 to support the launch of a professional flag football league.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
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The three were sanctioned by the Biden administration after the violent crackdown on anti-government protesters in July 2021.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Drugmakers argue that the additional patents protect legitimate innovations and help fund future research and development.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
-
The reality is that Achane’s workload might increase significantly this season, considering offensive standouts such as wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are gone, leaving Achane as the only legitimate scoring threat.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Customers can shop by category, including dairy and eggs, fresh produce, bakery, health, baby, pet, personal care, electronics and alcohol where permitted, with the online retailer personalizing product recommendations.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
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To mitigate potential rising housing costs, specific rental homes and hotels will be designated for the golden visa holders, who will only be permitted to invest in certain real estate opportunities.—
Brittany Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Workforce demographic data enables employers to design lawful DEI strategies to reduce barriers to equal opportunity, such as implementing broader recruitment measures or ensuring that all hiring criteria are job-related.—
Michelle Travis,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Texans deserve confidence that every lawful vote is counted, and that violations of the law carry real consequences.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Anthem Tax Services Highlights Anthem Tax Services is licensed in all 50 states and requires clients to have $10,000 in tax debt to enroll.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
In North Carolina, home inspectors must be licensed by the state.—
Ryan Brennan
May 15,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The ruling comes just hours after Glanville originally found that the officials should be allowed into the Election Night Reporting Room, a move that received pushback from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
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Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The gift to the city from the Harris family aims to spur development of the 20-acre triangle of land between South Eckert Road and the Boise River scheduled for later this summer and into 2027, almost 20 years after the park was originally approved by Boise officials.—
Mark Dee
May 15,
Idaho Statesman,
15 May 2026
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This part would include third-party NIL deals that are currently being argued about across college athletics, along with actually enforcing the revenue-share cap that was approved through the House settlement.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalized. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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