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
Judge Ji believed Yoon deserved a severe penalty for his martial law decree.
—
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Feb. 2026
Other trials are still ongoing, including one in which he is charged with treason after he was accused of ordering that drones be sent into North Korean airspace to provoke a confrontation that could justify martial law.
—Stella Kim, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Rebel English Academy, Mohammed Hanif (Feb. 17) Pakistan, 1979: in the wake of the execution of its former Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the young nation is a cauldron of martial law and political confusion.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 2 Feb. 2026
On September 23, 1972, one year before the end of his second and constitutionally final term, Marcos appeared on national television to declare martial law, shuttering independent media outlets and locking up some eight thousand political opponents.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 19 Feb. 2026
Other trials are still ongoing, including one in which he is charged with treason after he was accused of ordering that drones be sent into North Korean airspace to provoke a confrontation that could justify martial law.
—Stella Kim, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Rebel English Academy, Mohammed Hanif (Feb. 17) Pakistan, 1979: in the wake of the execution of its former Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the young nation is a cauldron of martial law and political confusion.
—Hamilton Cain, Time, 2 Feb. 2026
On September 23, 1972, one year before the end of his second and constitutionally final term, Marcos appeared on national television to declare martial law, shuttering independent media outlets and locking up some eight thousand political opponents.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial law
Noun
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Through a request under a Kentucky open-records law, KFF Health News obtained an informed consent form for the AL16 study used at a public institution, the University of Louisville.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Martha’s father, a law professor, had trained her to be a rational, step-by-step arguer.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Another 10 states have imposed a duty to warn under common law.—
Virginia Hammerle,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Online court records show Derond Crawford is charged with one count each of using a computer to commit a crime, common law offenses and interfering with electronic communications in connection with the incident.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And decibel levels would abide by local noise ordinances, with the facility’s HVAC system making about as much sound as a standard office system, according to the company.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
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The ordinance will include the exact language voters would see on the November ballot.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Fourteen years later, Congress passed a Chinese Exclusion Act, the first time Congress enacted legislation limiting immigration based on race or nationality.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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That would flip two trends — growing footprints and skyrocketing prices — in one piece of legislation.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sharaa, who has signed a five-year transitional document that serves as a de facto constitution, seems aware of the risks and has thus far been able to outflank his potential rivals and saboteurs, keeping his country out of the ongoing regional war.—
Alvaro Vargas Llosa,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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Voters, in approving adding gambling to the state constitution, approved language assigning up to 15,000 slot machines divided between those facilities.—
Bryan P. Sears,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martial law.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial%20law. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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