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
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For example, girls’ volleyball has been sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association since 1974.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
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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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Collective operators railed against possibly being shut down by the CSC and the stage seemed set for a legal challenge.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
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As Christians around the world face mounting legal and cultural threats for expressing their faith, the Graham family is stepping up efforts to defend freedom of speech and religion through both financial support and public advocacy.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
31 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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Villanueva, residing in Long Beach, is a lawful permanent resident of the Philippines, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.—
Landon Mion , Matt Finn,
FOXNews.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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In addition to immigration removal proceedings, lawful permanent residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 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
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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 7 Aug. 2025.
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