as in law
control of an area by military forces rather than by the police
The government has declared martial law throughout the city to stop the riots. an area placed under martial law
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Recent Examples of martial law
Cho's team has demanded the death sentence for Yoon by viewing his martial law imposition as a rebellion.
—
Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Yoon is on trial for insurrection over his brief declaration of martial law in 2024, as well as a number of other allegations.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
The presidential couple’s spectacular downfall follows Yoon’s failed martial law decree in December 2024, which led to his impeachment and removal from office.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The ruling, which can be appealed by the former first lady or prosecutors, comes amid a series of trials following investigations into Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law in 2024 and related scandals involving the once-powerful couple.
—Reuters, NBC news, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
Yoon is on trial for insurrection over his brief declaration of martial law in 2024, as well as a number of other allegations.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
The presidential couple’s spectacular downfall follows Yoon’s failed martial law decree in December 2024, which led to his impeachment and removal from office.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The ruling, which can be appealed by the former first lady or prosecutors, comes amid a series of trials following investigations into Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law in 2024 and related scandals involving the once-powerful couple.
—Reuters, NBC news, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martial law
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial law
Noun
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Canada already has far stronger gun laws than the United States, and mass shootings are extremely rare.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Democrats are calling for judicial warrants before agents can enter private property, a ban on ICE agents wearing face masks, requiring the use of body cameras and new laws for use-of-force standards.—
Justin Gomez,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While under hypnosis, a common law enforcement practice at the time, Bianchi confessed to killing Mandic and Wilder, along with five of the Hillside Strangler victims.—
Kelsey Lentz,
PEOPLE,
18 Jan. 2026
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The media company and its subsidiaries made seven claims against Google, including common law fraud, unjust enrichment and unlawful deceptive acts or practices.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Earlier, there were plans to renovate the building for new offices, but as demand for office space plunged after the pandemic, developer Tedesco says his company decided to use the new adaptive reuse ordinance to make it into residences.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Watson has argued that an ordinance is preferable to a charter amendment because it can be revised as needed, offering greater flexibility to council.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Under his guidance, students have helped author and inspire Illinois legislation on issues that include climate education, media literacy, fentanyl awareness and maternal health equity, the district said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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There may be room for work in the area of repealing legislation rather than enacting new laws to help increase the access to the health care system.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That ruling, which found that the contract awarded to Hutchison’s Panama Ports Company violated Panama’s constitution and follows the official audit, again raises frictions.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Mexico has amended its constitution to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes and vapes.—
Theara Coleman,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martial law.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial%20law. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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