LEGALIZES Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

legalizes

verb

present tense third-person singular of legalize

as in permits

to make (something) legal They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.

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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 legalizes Senate Bill 6 legalizes possession of fentanyl testing strips, which can be used to detect the presence of fentanyl and help prevent overdoses. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 June 2026 This day in sports history 1944 — NFL legalizes coaching from bench. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 In December, the Chicago City Council passed a provision in the 2026 budget that legalizes licensing of unregulated video gambling terminals within the city limits. — Julie Darling, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026 This is in reference to Assembly Bill 720, a new California law which for the first time, legalizes tastings and wine sales at California vineyards. — Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2026 The measure also legalizes possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis concentrates by adults, as well as cannabis edibles containing up to 2,000 milligrams of THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana. — A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026 First, my plan legalizes the ability for any group to purchase insurance collectively and operate across state lines. — MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025 Both medical and recreational use are legal in Colorado, and New Mexico passed a law this year that legalizes certain medical uses. — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizes

Verb

At a meeting last month, local attorney David Winker sought to appeal the tree removal permits on behalf of a Coconut Grove resident who lives near the site.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
The application may still obtain or present a valid access token that permits checkout today, even when the current instruction says to search but not buy.

— Aashis Luitel, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of permits

Verb

This summer has seen a confluence of challenges, including excessive heat that allows food contamination to grow and a pathogen that’s particularly tough to pin down.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
This strategy allows DeMellier to be desirable without being ubiquitous.

— Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of allows

Verb

The bill sanctions Russian financial institutions and its largest state energy projects while targeting Russian partners in the oil and natural gas trade.

— Chris Boccia, ABC News, 14 July 2026
For starters the World Cup is run by the same organization, FIFA, which sanctions virtually every level of soccer globally, from the men’s and women’s World Cups, to confederation competitions including the UEFA Championships and the Copa América, to most major age-group tournaments.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Definition of sanctions

Verb

Researchers have developed a new control framework that enables humanoid robots to perform agile movements, including army crawls, breakdancing and backflips.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent industry research by Typeface and a Marketing Week survey shows that marketers are reducing agency spend because AI enables more work to move in-house.

— Nital Shah, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of enables

Verb

The remaining argument, worth $36 billion by one count and a couple of state budgets by another, is about who licenses it, who is excluded from it, and who collects the tax.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Qualcomm makes significant profit through its QTL division, which licenses its intellectual property for cellular connections and other chip technology to other companies.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 29 July 2026

Definition of licenses

Verb

Thirty minutes from the Woburn research lab, Black Earth Compost accepts certified compostable materials.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Every family who enrolls a sick child in an experimental gene therapy accepts a level of risk higher than any consumer of a licensed medicine.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of accepts

Verb

The House settlement authorizes the CSC to review NIL deals for evidence of possible recruiting inducements and similar forms of compensation used to sway where athletes decide to play.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2026
The law authorizes the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to fine, suspend or revoke a business license for violating the child-protection law.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of authorizes

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“Legalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizes. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of legalizes

verb

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