as in permits
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalizes
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
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
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Kurt's key takeaways Building permits and zoning approvals already involve paperwork, deadlines and fees.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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For men, black tie permits a suit or a tuxedo, while white tie demands the black tailcoat and white bowtie brief as explained above.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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McConnell wrote that his final judgment allows the United States to start to use the Federal Debt Collection Procedure to collect the payment.—
Jack Perry,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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This innovation allows satellites to operate sustainably at very low altitudes, known as Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO).—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Who within the district — executive director, deputy chief of operations or another administrator — approves a purchase depends on the amount.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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Issuers have no say in this process once a court approves the filing.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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An autocratic government that sanctions violence.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The United States and China are targeting landing humans on Mars in the 2030s, with the intention of building infrastructure that enables long-term habitation.—
Scott Solomon,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
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According to Google threat intelligence VP Sandra Joyce, this approach is no longer valid, especially given the speed and scale that AI enables for cyberattackers.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The South Korean startup competes not only with Nvidia but also with a growing list of other startups from Cerebras to Groq — a company that Nvidia licenses technology from.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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Now Schoolhouse licenses franchises to create rings, necklaces, patches, and other accessories.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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None set out at the beginning of high school seeking a path that leads to MIT, which accepts only about five students for every 100 applicants.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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If a judge accepts the plea, his sentencing is May 12.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In March 2024, the county retained a private law firm to represent it in the Murray case under a contract that authorizes paying the firm up to $150,000 per year for five years.—
David Plymyer,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Mar. 2026
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In California, only one type of criminal conviction — for assault using a motor vehicle as a deadly instrument — authorizes a court to strip away someone’s license forever.—
Rachel Swan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizes. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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