as in sanctioning
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalizing
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
Since legalizing online gambling in 2021, the state requires betting platforms to be licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
—Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 5 Mar. 2026
His issues page lists populist reforms like raising the minimum wage, strengthening workers’ ability to organize, and legalizing marijuana.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
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
Since legalizing online gambling in 2021, the state requires betting platforms to be licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
—Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 5 Mar. 2026
His issues page lists populist reforms like raising the minimum wage, strengthening workers’ ability to organize, and legalizing marijuana.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizing
Verb
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Motorsports sanctioning bodies and manufacturers continually work to improve safety measures, to better protect competitors, spectators, track personnel and others every time racers strap on their helmets, buckle their safety belts, take to the track and compete.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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The Cowboys and Texans hope the event will build momentum toward the UIL sanctioning the sport.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a world of rising electricity demand, artificial intelligence expansion, industrial rivalry, and grid stress, permitting reform is not procedural.—
Dan Romito,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
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Instead, the focus must be on better technology, tougher siting standards and permitting reform.—
Ken Silverstein,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Highlanders also had runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth innings but Driskill and the Vanguards got out of trouble without allowing a run in each of those innings.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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Oil revenue is the linchpin of Russia’s economy, allowing Putin to pour money into the armed forces without worsening inflation for everyday people and avoiding a currency collapse.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kennedy’s responsibility is signing off on staffing numbers, but not approving the specific people who work at the World Trade Center Health Program.—
Liz Neporent,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The league is primarily funded by PIF, the sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman – the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and the man who a US intelligence report named as responsible for approving the operation that led to the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Colossal is licensing its gene-editing technology to other labs and has spun out four businesses, the largest of which, a biologic predictive engine called Astromech, is valued at more than $2 billion.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Apple has been licensing from others but is being pressed hard to develop its own.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The setup relies on a mobile emitter that directs energy to an antenna array mounted beneath the aircraft, enabling continuous power delivery without physical connections.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
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That weakness centers on knowingly enabling paralysis.—
Dan Romito,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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