as in sanctioning
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalizing
If passed, the MORE Act would remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), effectively legalizing marijuana at the federal level.
—
A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 1 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
Public opinion has shifted over the years to dramatically favor mostly legalizing marijuana as many states have moved to permit the use of weed for both medical and recreational purposes.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 Aug. 2025
In addition, a 2021 study by the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the legislature’s bipartisan fiscal arm, indicated that legalizing iGaming could lead to the cannibalization of revenues at casinos and bars with video poker.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
An impact study released before the November election estimated that legalizing liquor sales would add 114 jobs in Burleson and boost the city’s annual tax revenue by approximately $253,961.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2025
A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 1 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
Public opinion has shifted over the years to dramatically favor mostly legalizing marijuana as many states have moved to permit the use of weed for both medical and recreational purposes.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 11 Aug. 2025
In addition, a 2021 study by the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the legislature’s bipartisan fiscal arm, indicated that legalizing iGaming could lead to the cannibalization of revenues at casinos and bars with video poker.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
An impact study released before the November election estimated that legalizing liquor sales would add 114 jobs in Burleson and boost the city’s annual tax revenue by approximately $253,961.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizing
Verb
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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
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In reality, the first scenario does not exist and the guarantees that would underpin the second are impossible to give, meaning sanctioning a sale at this stage in the window, at any price, would represent a sporting gamble that could be risky at best, reckless at worst.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Democratic lawmakers in California approved a sweeping slate of climate and environmental bills Saturday – a package that would double-down on climate commitments like cap-and-trade and high speed rail, while also permitting additional oil drilling in the state.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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True support for working parents means more than permitting remote work.—
Liz Teran,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now, as legal attacks against telehealth providers put shield laws to the test, some states have moved to strengthen the laws by allowing providers to prescribe anonymously, reducing their risk of legal or individual harassment.—
Patrick Adams,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
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Within Zara stores, certain in-store stock processes have been automated, allowing quicker movement of product from stockroom to sales floor or fitting rooms as part of the company’s ongoing push for seamless omnichannel retail execution.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke authorization of COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from approving any future COVID-19 vaccines.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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The absence of a seventh council member to break ties is preventing any progress on approving a fiscal plan.—
Veronica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What was your reaction when your team brought the idea of licensing your library to Samsung TV Plus, as well as the early move to put clips up on your YouTube channel?—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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Movies on Netflix come and go due to licensing deals that begin, expire or circle back around.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The assembly occurs in parallel, enabling multiple devices to be fabricated on a single chip in one step, by simplifying production and preserving the performance benefits of 2D materials.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
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If using a smartphone, NOAA recommends enabling night mode, disabling flash and relying on a tripod to stabilize the image.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizing. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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