on trial
idiom
: in a situation in which evidence against one is presented in a court to a judge and often a jury to decide if one is guilty of a crime
on trial for murder
She went on trial for possession of drugs.
—sometimes used figuratively to indicate that people will think about something in a critical wayThe controversial case has put the entire health care system on trial.
Examples of on trial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Netanyahu has been on trial since 2020 after being indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust throughout his fourth and fifth terms in office.
—
Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025
Bardot’s turn as a woman on trial for murdering her lover (Frey) in The Truth — nominated for the Oscar for best foreign-language film in 1961 — remains one of her most memorable roles.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
With alleged killer Luigi Mangione now on trial, and health care premiums for many Americans set to spike, the national conversation around health care inequity will likely enter the spotlight again.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Jackson put the investigators of the case on trial, accusing them of showing bias in favor of law enforcement officers who may have been responsible.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on trial
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Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025
Bardot’s turn as a woman on trial for murdering her lover (Frey) in The Truth — nominated for the Oscar for best foreign-language film in 1961 — remains one of her most memorable roles.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
With alleged killer Luigi Mangione now on trial, and health care premiums for many Americans set to spike, the national conversation around health care inequity will likely enter the spotlight again.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Dec. 2025
Jackson put the investigators of the case on trial, accusing them of showing bias in favor of law enforcement officers who may have been responsible.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on trial
Cite this Entry
“On trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20trial. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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