as in sanctioned
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Dissimilar Words
as in legal
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Recent Examples of legalized
Lindsey Bartlett, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
The company, founded in July 2020, is an institutional lender specializing in senior secured loans to cannabis industry operators in states that have legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025
Advocates for reforming cannabis laws might look to Germany, which legalized adult possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal use in public last year.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
The gaming department has received an increase in total calls to its problem gambling helpline since sports wagering was legalized here in 2021, DPG director Elise Mikkelson told Axios.
—Jessica Boehm, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025
North Carolina legalized sports betting in March 2024, three years after Maryland.
—Adam Hudacek, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
Dickinson actually entered college in 2020 a year prior to NIL being legalized.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
The 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act legalized cannabidiol derived from hemp at the federal level.
—Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 7 Mar. 2025
Five states − South Carolina, Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and Idaho − have legalized firing squads as an execution method, most recently Idaho in 2023.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
In Las Vegas, the cannabis consumption lounges are just beginning to pop up after being legalized.
—Lindsey Bartlett, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
The company, founded in July 2020, is an institutional lender specializing in senior secured loans to cannabis industry operators in states that have legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2025
Advocates for reforming cannabis laws might look to Germany, which legalized adult possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis for personal use in public last year.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
The gaming department has received an increase in total calls to its problem gambling helpline since sports wagering was legalized here in 2021, DPG director Elise Mikkelson told Axios.
—Jessica Boehm, Axios, 10 Mar. 2025
North Carolina legalized sports betting in March 2024, three years after Maryland.
—Adam Hudacek, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
Dickinson actually entered college in 2020 a year prior to NIL being legalized.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
The 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act legalized cannabidiol derived from hemp at the federal level.
—Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 7 Mar. 2025
Five states − South Carolina, Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and Idaho − have legalized firing squads as an execution method, most recently Idaho in 2023.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalized
Verb
-
For example, girls’ volleyball has been sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association since 1974.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
-
The United States on Tuesday sanctioned a senior Hungarian government official and close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for alleged corruption.—
Kevin Lynn,
Newsweek,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Currently, workers have no legal recourse for grievances submitted to the National Labor Relations Board due to the removal of NLRB members by the Trump administration.—
Nick Gauthier,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
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Many legal scholars don't share Jackson's ominous view, including several critical of Trump.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Even legitimate payment flows from emerging markets are frequently flagged for investigation under the guise of compliance, slowing their transfer.—
Wale Ayeni,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
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That decision prompted a Title IX lawsuit filed by five volleyball players and the team’s head coach, alleging the school was disguising a club activity as a legitimate varsity sport to artificially inflate its female participation numbers.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who interferes with our lawful mission will be arrested.—
Danielle Wallace , Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
9 July 2025
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These high-level employees often operate under unique contractual arrangements, have access to sensitive company information and may be terminated for reasons that blur the line between lawful discretion and unlawful motive.—
JC Serrano,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Once the petitions are approved, residents will have 75 days to gather additional signatures.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Mar. 2025
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But the women’s team ultimately got approved with 810 of a possible 894 votes.—
Guillermo Rai,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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An Indiana police officer is accused of forcing his six-year-old daughter to stand outside in freezing temperatures holding a sign threatening her brother as punishment for pouting because she was not allowed to wear lip gloss.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
16 Mar. 2025
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The Blue Jackets have allowed a goal on the first shot of the game in two straight games and three times in their last six outings.—
Aaron Portzline,
The Athletic,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This move not only improved processing speeds substantially but also enabled seamless AI and analytics integration.—
Gowtham Chilakapati,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The fast turnaround was no doubt enabled by landing the booster back near the launch site, speeding the process of inspecting and refurbishing the rocket.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalized. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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