as in sanctioning
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalizing
While in office, Olson tried unsuccessfully to sell GOP leadership on the idea of legalizing medical marijuana.
—
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
He was best known in his time at the General Assembly for being one of the top House budget writers and being the major driver behind legalizing sports betting in North Carolina, which drew bipartisan support.
—Andrew Dys, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
Once states started legalizing sports gambling following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, sponsorship deals soon followed.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
But a recent study by the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine has revealed what has been the impact of legalizing sports betting on Americans—showing a dramatic increase in sports betting and gambling addiction help-seeking (23 percent) since 2018.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed legislation legalizing the possession, use and cultivation of cannabis in the state.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 21 Oct. 2025
Those levels remained high over a six-year period, despite the state recently legalizing recreational cannabis.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
City of Yes passed at the end of last year, promising to create more than 80,000 new homes over 15 years, in part by legalizing the creation of apartments in people’s backyards or basements of people’s single- and two-family homes.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2025
Back in 2020, sportsbooks were looking to acquire customers in the states that were legalizing.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
He was best known in his time at the General Assembly for being one of the top House budget writers and being the major driver behind legalizing sports betting in North Carolina, which drew bipartisan support.
—Andrew Dys, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
Once states started legalizing sports gambling following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, sponsorship deals soon followed.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
But a recent study by the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine has revealed what has been the impact of legalizing sports betting on Americans—showing a dramatic increase in sports betting and gambling addiction help-seeking (23 percent) since 2018.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed legislation legalizing the possession, use and cultivation of cannabis in the state.
—Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 21 Oct. 2025
Those levels remained high over a six-year period, despite the state recently legalizing recreational cannabis.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
City of Yes passed at the end of last year, promising to create more than 80,000 new homes over 15 years, in part by legalizing the creation of apartments in people’s backyards or basements of people’s single- and two-family homes.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2025
Back in 2020, sportsbooks were looking to acquire customers in the states that were legalizing.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizing
Verb
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The sanctioning body’s comprehensive net income was more than $537 million in 2023 — which included a major land sale — and $103 million in 2024.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Nov. 2025
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Yet, the jury criminalized one set of transactions while sanctioning the other, without any meaningful legal standard to distinguish between them.—
Jim Saunders,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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City officials are completing permitting and logistical details with San Diego Gas & Electric to install 750 to 800 charging portals at 59 locations — 20 library branches and 39 pools or recreation centers.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
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The filing comes days after Spotify was accused in another class action lawsuit of permitting massive amounts of streaming fraud on its platform, which siphons royalties from artists whose numbers aren’t artificially inflated.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Athos Bulcão Foundation Dedicated to preserving the legacy of Brazilian artist Athos Bulcão, the Athos Bulcão Foundation serves as both a museum and a shop, allowing visitors to take a piece inspired by his style home.—
Greyson Ferguson,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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But when homeowners agreed, a notary would come with a multipage contract in confusing language, the AG’s office said, and the notary would pressure homeowners to sign immediately without allowing time for review.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly endorsed the deal and called the immediate vote to begin the process of approving it as the shutdown continued to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
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As expected, Tesla shareholders did a truly unprecedented thing, approving a pay package for Elon Musk that could, over the next decade, turn the CEO into the world’s first trillionaire.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Republicans have called on Underly to make the DPI's approach to investigating teacher licensing more transparent.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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But don't expect licensing the digital double to come at a discount.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And the corporation’s response to the row was feeble at best, enabling conservative critics to advance their long-running campaign against the broadcaster.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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The breakthrough came when the researchers introduced a minute amount of ordinary salt at a critical stage in the process, which triggered the metal to wrap around the template instead of spreading out, enabling the formation of stable nanotube shells.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizing. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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