as in law
control of an area by military forces rather than by the police
The government has declared martial law throughout the city to stop the riots. an area placed under martial law
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Recent Examples of martial law
The martial law lasted six hours as he was forced to lift it after the assembly unanimously voted it down.
—
Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Because the film was made during censorship under martial law in Taiwan, the film was heavily cut.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
And by 1987 Taiwan would lift martial law — imposed since 1949 — under pressure from protesters.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
The island only held its first democratic elections in the early 1990s, following decades of martial law under the KMT.
—Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Because the film was made during censorship under martial law in Taiwan, the film was heavily cut.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
And by 1987 Taiwan would lift martial law — imposed since 1949 — under pressure from protesters.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
The island only held its first democratic elections in the early 1990s, following decades of martial law under the KMT.
—Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial law
Noun
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Congress this week released a bipartisan framework that would establish the first broad federal approach to AI regulation while temporarily preempting many state laws.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
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As the result of a state law passed in 2024, DEEP is required to coordinate with at least two other New England states on contracts to purchase nuclear power.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Many civil law countries do not recognize trusts in the same way common law jurisdictions do.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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The Breadth of California’s Injury Claim Protections Beyond the pure comparative fault doctrine, California has developed an extensive body of statutory and common law protections for personal injury victims.—
Anton Lucanus
May 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The ordinance was created to close enforcement gaps that existing nuisance regulations do not adequately address, said city officials.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
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The ordinance, modeled after similar measures in Duluth and Chicago, would give landlords 14 days to fix a broken item or schedule a repair after it’s reported to them by a tenant in writing.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Implementation was postponed until 2030, but data collected by the legislation shows California refiners operate on razor-thin margins and, at times, operate at a loss.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
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While most of the legislation focuses on homeowner housing, a couple of provisions would address important challenges for subsidized rental housing.—
Alex Schwartz,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Boston, the lone plaintiff in the lawsuit, asserted that the measure violates the state and federal constitutions and targets Democratic strongholds under the guise of taking politics out of those elections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
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Throughout the trial, defense attorneys maintained that the spending prosecutors labeled as embezzlement was transparent and in accordance with the union’s constitution.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martial law.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial%20law. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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