as in sanctioning
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalizing
Lucas — a prominent backer of legalizing marijuana — has said the store sells legal hemp and CBD products.
—
Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Brian Vicente, partner at Vicente LLP, is optimistic that this week’s rescheduling is an incremental movement toward de-scheduling and maybe even legalizing marijuana altogether.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
After a rash of abandonments led to infant deaths in the late 1990s, Texas became the first in the nation to pass a state law legalizing abandonment.
—Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Cronin and Watson said Tunney began advocating for legalizing medical cannabis in Idaho in 2022, a push that continued until her death in 2024.
—Clark Corbin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Apr. 2026
Yeah, so in 2018, the Supreme Court overturned this law called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which basically prevented states from legalizing sports betting and kept it in Las Vegas.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Texas followed by legalizing hemp in 2019, allowing products that meet the THC threshold to be manufactured and sold.
—Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Defending the gambling expansion, Rouse has typically framed legalizing new gambling machines as an important source of income for small businesses.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
Multiple states have argued that legalizing and regulating sports betting is under the jurisdiction of local regulators and outside the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates event contracts and the prediction markets.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Brian Vicente, partner at Vicente LLP, is optimistic that this week’s rescheduling is an incremental movement toward de-scheduling and maybe even legalizing marijuana altogether.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
After a rash of abandonments led to infant deaths in the late 1990s, Texas became the first in the nation to pass a state law legalizing abandonment.
—Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Cronin and Watson said Tunney began advocating for legalizing medical cannabis in Idaho in 2022, a push that continued until her death in 2024.
—Clark Corbin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Apr. 2026
Yeah, so in 2018, the Supreme Court overturned this law called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which basically prevented states from legalizing sports betting and kept it in Las Vegas.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026
Texas followed by legalizing hemp in 2019, allowing products that meet the THC threshold to be manufactured and sold.
—Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
Defending the gambling expansion, Rouse has typically framed legalizing new gambling machines as an important source of income for small businesses.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 22 Mar. 2026
Multiple states have argued that legalizing and regulating sports betting is under the jurisdiction of local regulators and outside the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates event contracts and the prediction markets.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizing
Verb
-
The Florida Supreme Court should be extremely cautious about sanctioning a system where speed seems to matter more than justice.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
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But this should not be a matter of ticking off the boxes to rush an execution of someone who has a real claim of innocence, and the Supreme Court should be very cautious about sanctioning an approach where the state is prioritizing speed over the cause of justice.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Never particularly good at controlling the running game, Doval then let Turang steal second before permitting a game-tying single to William Contreras.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Kehmeier and Friends of the Skyway co-founder Bill Hanley hope to assemble a busking team to host skyway-level performances, provided City Hall works with them on permitting.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Starter Anthony Kay helped the Sox complete a three-game sweep, allowing two runs over a career-high six-plus innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
If the Jets defense can improve from allowing the second-most points in the league to average, the Jets could flirt with making a playoff bid in 2026.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The heaviest blow came last week when the Virginia Supreme Court nixed a referendum approving a new map that was expected to increase Democrats’ edge in the blue-trending state from 6-5 to 10-1.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2026
-
Commissioners are expected to vote on a resolution at their next meeting on May 20 approving the project as a Live Local initiative.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The influence of ReelShort continues to grow, with Business Insider yesterday reporting that Peacock has begun licensing microdramas from the platform, as the major streamers experiment with vertical video offers.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
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The agency’s disciplinary process is unique among licensing bodies in California in how much is kept secret, Fitzhugh said.—
Holly McDede,
ProPublica,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The program, launched earlier this year, appears to be another weapon enabling hardliners and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to exert control in Iran.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
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Stacking is the key to McCarthy's lunar imagery, enabling him to turn the subtle variations of color in an image of the moon into the rich browns and blues seen in his edits.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizing. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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