federal case

noun

: big deal
don't make a federal case out of it

Examples of federal case in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After years of demanding better pay and protections from individual farmers and buyers, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers — the anti-trafficking organization that uncovered the first examples of abuse in the massive federal case — launched the Fair Food Program in 2010. Max Blau, ProPublica, 16 Sep. 2025 Mangione's attorneys have argued that his New York case and his federal case are parallel prosecutions and amount to double jeopardy. Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025 And though his lawyers, led by attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, wanted to have the state indictment entirely dismissed because of the simultaneous federal case against him, Carro ruled that any claim of double jeopardy is too premature. Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025 Judge Carro's dismissal of the state-level terrorism counts has no bearing on the federal case. Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for federal case

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of federal case was in 1950

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Federal case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federal%20case. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!