as in sanctioning
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalizing
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
The excise tax rate was included in the law Michigan voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana sales in 2018.
—Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 27 Sep. 2025
With more states legalizing adult-use cannabis and new businesses entering the market, brands are racing to define themselves and stand out.
—Iris Dorbian, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti star in the drama about an Italian president in the final six months of his last term who faces some deep moral decisions including two potential pardons and the question of signing a bill legalizing euthanasia.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
These laws come on the heels of states such as Oregon, Colorado, Kentucky and Georgia legalizing ketamine – a psychedelic that has been used in emergency rooms as anesthesia – for therapeutic purposes in the past two years.
—Pardis Mahdavi, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2025
Several years after legalizing recreational cannabis, what is Massachusetts left with other than hundreds of millions in tax revenue and a lingering air of pot on the streets that wasn’t there before?
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
And then all of a sudden, New York state is legalizing cannabis.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
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
The excise tax rate was included in the law Michigan voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana sales in 2018.
—Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 27 Sep. 2025
With more states legalizing adult-use cannabis and new businesses entering the market, brands are racing to define themselves and stand out.
—Iris Dorbian, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti star in the drama about an Italian president in the final six months of his last term who faces some deep moral decisions including two potential pardons and the question of signing a bill legalizing euthanasia.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
These laws come on the heels of states such as Oregon, Colorado, Kentucky and Georgia legalizing ketamine – a psychedelic that has been used in emergency rooms as anesthesia – for therapeutic purposes in the past two years.
—Pardis Mahdavi, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2025
Several years after legalizing recreational cannabis, what is Massachusetts left with other than hundreds of millions in tax revenue and a lingering air of pot on the streets that wasn’t there before?
—Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2025
And then all of a sudden, New York state is legalizing cannabis.
—Angela Andaloro, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizing
Verb
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Despite their rifts, the permanent members of the Security Council still agree on a wide range of subjects from aid operations to sanctioning jihadists.—
Richard Gowan,
Time,
22 Sep. 2025
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The entities sued the motorsport sanctioning body after declining to sign the charter agreement that NASCAR made available to teams to sign in September.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the councilors did have to reduce funding for some agencies and raise permitting fees for building homes and businesses to help plug a $43 million revenue hole caused in part by Senate Enrolled Act 1, the statewide tax reform plan passed by Indiana Republicans.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
7 Oct. 2025
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Turmail pointed to the Brent Spence Bridge’s paralyzed development as a prime example of regulations, including permitting requirements, impeding progress.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reactor designs are tailored to customer needs, allowing integration into existing systems and application-specific piloting at industrial sites.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
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Critics had warned that allowing Trump to fire Cook would have trampled on decades of research showing central banks function best when they're allowed to operate without meddling from politicians.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In July 2025, CMS stopped approving Section 1115 waivers for multi-year continuous eligibility for children.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Each retailer chose the artist and commissioned the cover that will be exclusive to their stores, with Liefeld approving it all.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Other states have strengthened their police licensing oversight structures.—
Katie Moore,
Kansas City Star,
22 Sep. 2025
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Wang Jingtao, a deputy director of China’s Cyberspace Administration, said the deal could include methods such as entrusting the operation of TikTok’s US user data and content security services, as well as licensing its algorithms and intellectual property rights.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For adQuadrant, integrating AI branding tools significantly elevated creative output, by enabling quicker ad experimentation and empowering the team to consistently deliver impactful campaigns.—
Derya Matras,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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Additionally, CEOs have gained greater power to set their own pay, enabling them to negotiate higher compensation packages, the report said.—
Natalie Wu,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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