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
In December 2020, just days after Barr rebuffed Trump’s Antrim County claims, lawyers in the White House counsel’s office helped prevent the president from heeding activists’ call to essentially declare martial law to seize voting machines.
—
Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 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
Back then, Cheng was known for her criticism of the KMT, which ruled Taiwan under martial law until 1987.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
Violence was so prevalent that, in 1871, Grant invoked martial law in South Carolina.
—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 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
Back then, Cheng was known for her criticism of the KMT, which ruled Taiwan under martial law until 1987.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 4 Apr. 2026
Violence was so prevalent that, in 1871, Grant invoked martial law in South Carolina.
—Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial law
Noun
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For example, a West Virginia law passed in early 2025 gives teachers more power to exclude disruptive students from their classrooms.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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Rebecca Miller, the executive director of DC Preservation League, has spent 23 years at the organization, which sued to stop the golf course takeover and joined a coalition attempting to force the Kennedy Center to comply with preservation laws.—
Steven Sloan,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Noun
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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
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The rule against prior restraint derives from the English common law principle that liberty of the press is essential to a free state.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The La Mesa City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve the ordinance.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Removing language that states city boards and commissions are only advisory to the City Council, allowing the council to assign responsibilities to those bodies by ordinance.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
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By setting limits on the amount of plastic waste that companies can use, and banning a handful of toxic chemicals — such as PFAS, lead, and mercury — in packaging, this legislation would protect our environment and health from dangerous microplastics.—
Justin Sanchez,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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An out-of-state medical cannabis registry card can get you a 45-day supply in Georgia, and a registration card will be valid for five years under the new legislation.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Much more likely is that the Virginia Democrats will have to try again in the next election cycle with another vote to amend the state constitution and another referendum to try to get voters to draw a more aggressive map.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
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Under current law the Legislature cannot, merely by passing a bill, grant to the attorney general prosecutorial authority that the Texas constitution expressly assigns to district attorneys.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martial law.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial%20law. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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