as in to approve
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory
Lincoln's home state of Illinois was the first to ratify the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provided for the abolition of slavery
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Recent Examples of ratify
While the February deadline may not be a firm one, the government will need a deal in hand well before expiration day so the Arizona Legislature and possibly Congress have time to ratify the details.
—
Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 3 Feb. 2026
The pressure now shifts to the House, where lawmakers will have to decide whether to swiftly ratify the Senate plan or reopen a deeper fight over immigration and other policy priorities.
—Nik Popli, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
If the board does not ratify the unauthorized commitment, the HOA could require that director to reimburse the HOA for the expense.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
The cuts arrive less than six years after the museum eliminated more than a hundred jobs through voluntary early retirement and layoffs, and four years after unionized employees ratified their first contract with the institution under the auspices of United Auto Workers 2110.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ratify
Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 3 Feb. 2026
The pressure now shifts to the House, where lawmakers will have to decide whether to swiftly ratify the Senate plan or reopen a deeper fight over immigration and other policy priorities.
—Nik Popli, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
If the board does not ratify the unauthorized commitment, the HOA could require that director to reimburse the HOA for the expense.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
The cuts arrive less than six years after the museum eliminated more than a hundred jobs through voluntary early retirement and layoffs, and four years after unionized employees ratified their first contract with the institution under the auspices of United Auto Workers 2110.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ratify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ratify
Verb
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The council also approved the appointment of Josiah Ben-Oni Graham to fill a partial-term vacancy that expires in November.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
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The City Council has approved a June ballot measure that would raise the hotel tax.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Fulton County has also confirmed that some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount, the affidavit says.—
Kate Brumback,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Law enforcement has yet to confirm any activity in the Bitcoin account, and USA TODAY has reached out to the FBI for comment.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ratify. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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