gray area
noun
: an area or situation in which it is difficult to judge what is right and what is wrong
There are no gray areas in the rules.
a legal gray area
Examples of gray area in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, the practice exists in a legal gray area, with sellers facing potential bans due to Etsy's policy on metaphysical services.
—
Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Yet experts say Polymarket seemed to continue to operate in a legal gray area because its operations remain offshore.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
This is a gray area of international law, but providing financial and material aid alone is generally not considered sufficient justification for an attack.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
There are too many contradictions, too long a list of things that require confronting, too much gray area to reconcile.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gray area
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.
Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Yet experts say Polymarket seemed to continue to operate in a legal gray area because its operations remain offshore.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
This is a gray area of international law, but providing financial and material aid alone is generally not considered sufficient justification for an attack.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
There are too many contradictions, too long a list of things that require confronting, too much gray area to reconcile.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gray area
Cite this Entry
“Gray area.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray%20area. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
