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
But above all, Lee emphasized the importance of rebuilding public trust, badly damaged by the martial law crisis – and punishing those responsible.
—
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
The other two instances were in U.S. territories, in the Philippines during a 1905 rebellion and in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor, when the Territory of Hawaii was under martial law, but each time acting under congressional grant.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 May 2025
The last declaration of martial law was made in May 1980 by the Chun Doo-hwan military junta, which sent special forces units to violently quash pro-democracy protests in the city of Gwangju.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
One of the concerns now is that any protests could lead Trump to send in the military, resulting in a declaration of martial law.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
The other two instances were in U.S. territories, in the Philippines during a 1905 rebellion and in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor, when the Territory of Hawaii was under martial law, but each time acting under congressional grant.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 May 2025
The last declaration of martial law was made in May 1980 by the Chun Doo-hwan military junta, which sent special forces units to violently quash pro-democracy protests in the city of Gwangju.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
One of the concerns now is that any protests could lead Trump to send in the military, resulting in a declaration of martial law.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial law
Noun
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Many constitutional scholars believe that the Nixon-era law, which limits the president's power to unilaterally wage war, violates Article 2, Johnson said.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
24 June 2025
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And American law, then as now, tends to favor legacy over hustle.—
Aron Solomon
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
Noun
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The common law right of publicity prevents individuals from evoking another’s identity for their own advantage, commercial or otherwise, Ochoa said.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2025
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Before the United States’ founding, English common law had established habeas corpus to object to imprisonment.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
Noun
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An ordinance passed in 2024, which prohibits the use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement, is at the center of the lawsuit.—
Molly Gibbs,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2025
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The suit targets Los Angeles' ordinance that prohibits city resources from being used for immigration enforcement and bars local police from sharing information about individuals without legal status.—
Adeola Adeosun
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
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After a marathon session, the Senate narrowly passed their version of the legislation with Vice President Vance having to cast the deciding vote.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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He was overruled by Trump and Speaker Johnson, who passed his version of the legislation before Memorial Day.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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The Montana Supreme Court ruled last year that the state’s parental consent law violated the privacy clause in Montana’s constitution.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
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Let these words echo in the constitution of Syria, the laws, the spirit, and the daily life of the country—words that are worthy of repeating: Syria for all Syrians.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martial law.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial%20law. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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