as in approval
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as in approving
to give official acceptance of as satisfactory
the administration will sanction almost any field trip with educational value
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Recent Examples of sanctioning
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The sanctioning of high school sports is critical to allow student-athletes to safely participate in sports without the risk of exploitation.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
There is increasing international condemnation and sanctioning of some of the government’s more prominent members who are accused of using genocidal language against the Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 23 Aug. 2025
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026
The sanctioning body pulled the plug early Saturday after overnight rain continued into the early morning hours.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
Motorsports sanctioning bodies and manufacturers continually work to improve safety measures, to better protect competitors, spectators, track personnel and others every time racers strap on their helmets, buckle their safety belts, take to the track and compete.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
The Cowboys and Texans hope the event will build momentum toward the UIL sanctioning the sport.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
The central and longest section presents the Guru’s grievances against Aurangzeb in the style of a Sufi pir (spiritual guide) addressing a deviant murid (disciple), indicting the emperor for violating the oath and sanctioning the murder of Gobind Singh’s sons.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
The Nevada County public defender’s office and the nonprofit Civil Rights Corps asked the state appeals court to investigate the matter, and to consider sanctioning Wilson’s office for submitting the false citations.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Russia’s shadow fleet is made up of aging tankers that are bought used, often by nontransparent entities with addresses in countries that are not sanctioning Russia.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
That’s not to say that good intentions place Ellis’ order above appellate scrutiny, although in my opinion, her sole (but significant) misstep was failing to give her orders teeth by sanctioning government lawyers and holding DHS agents in contempt of court.
—Seth Stern, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
The City of Boca Raton has no official involvement regarding the sanctioning of the party, a spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The sanctioning of high school sports is critical to allow student-athletes to safely participate in sports without the risk of exploitation.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
There is increasing international condemnation and sanctioning of some of the government’s more prominent members who are accused of using genocidal language against the Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
Phelps departed the top of the company after an acrimonious lawsuit and subsequent trial between the sanctioning body of NASCAR and two of its Cup Series teams — a 14-month process that revealed some pretty unflattering messages sent within NASCAR leadership.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026
The sanctioning body pulled the plug early Saturday after overnight rain continued into the early morning hours.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
Motorsports sanctioning bodies and manufacturers continually work to improve safety measures, to better protect competitors, spectators, track personnel and others every time racers strap on their helmets, buckle their safety belts, take to the track and compete.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
The Cowboys and Texans hope the event will build momentum toward the UIL sanctioning the sport.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
The central and longest section presents the Guru’s grievances against Aurangzeb in the style of a Sufi pir (spiritual guide) addressing a deviant murid (disciple), indicting the emperor for violating the oath and sanctioning the murder of Gobind Singh’s sons.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
The Nevada County public defender’s office and the nonprofit Civil Rights Corps asked the state appeals court to investigate the matter, and to consider sanctioning Wilson’s office for submitting the false citations.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Russia’s shadow fleet is made up of aging tankers that are bought used, often by nontransparent entities with addresses in countries that are not sanctioning Russia.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
That’s not to say that good intentions place Ellis’ order above appellate scrutiny, although in my opinion, her sole (but significant) misstep was failing to give her orders teeth by sanctioning government lawyers and holding DHS agents in contempt of court.
—Seth Stern, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctioning
Noun
-
Because Pe’Sla was not included as an affected area and no environmental review was conducted, the approval violates the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act, the lawsuit alleges.—
Sarah Raza,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
Both hires require formal approval from their respective school boards, which are expected to vote in May.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The Supreme Court on Monday essentially gave them a green light to proceed by approving a request to expedite the court’s formal judgment.—
Kim Chandler,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
-
County supervisors recently voted to hit restart on a proposal to put a 25-acre community park in Alpine, unanimously approving a new environmental impact report after a conservationist lawsuit derailed the project last year.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Taiwan blamed China for blocking the trip, accusing Beijing of forcing the African nations to deny permission for Lai’s aircraft to pass through their airspace.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
4 May 2026
-
Authorities in the West African island nation have denied the MV Hondius permission to dock at the port of Praia as a precautionary measure, complicating efforts to evacuate sick passengers and provide urgent medical care.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Workers represented by United Steelworkers Local 12775 are headed back to work at NIPSCO, after ratifying a new contract with the utility.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Last April, the union celebrated when Atlanta City Council passed a resolution ratifying the first-of-its-kind collective bargaining agreement.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With the 2028 Presidential race approaching, Obama has shown no interest in early endorsements.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The House Democratic campaign arm’s endorsements in two competitive primaries are aggravating some in the party who see favoritism at work.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Defense Blog reported that the system was tested in a live-fire scenario, confirming its ability to deploy armed drones during active operations.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Leonardi submitted a letter to the commissioner confirming her secretary used the credit card to buy the $150 ticket to the gala.—
Natalie La Roche Pietri,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By the end of April 2026, transit through the Strait was running at four to five percent of pre-war levels, around two thousand vessels were stranded in the Gulf, and the United States had announced that mine-clearance operations would take at least six months.—
Interesting Engineering,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Tafari managed to put a foot on the rebound, but the scuffed clearance fell in front of Jesús Gallardo, who toed it toward goal.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since its ratification in 1791, the First Amendment has protected much more than the rights that are expressly mentioned in its text.—
Wayne Unger,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Congress gained the power to tax income with the ratification of the 16th Amendment in 1913.—
David A. Lieb,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanctioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctioning. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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