as in to permit
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalize
New York's booming cannabis market New York, New Jersey and Connecticut all legalized recreational pot in 2021.
—
Ali Bauman, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The president did not legalize psychedelics or weed, but his orders change the way these drugs will be regulated.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
But as more lawmakers move to legalize and decriminalize possession and use of marijuana, more medical researchers are diving into learning more about how the drug affects the human body.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Those federal barriers remained in place even as roughly half of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and even more have approved it for medical use.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Ali Bauman, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The president did not legalize psychedelics or weed, but his orders change the way these drugs will be regulated.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 24 Apr. 2026
But as more lawmakers move to legalize and decriminalize possession and use of marijuana, more medical researchers are diving into learning more about how the drug affects the human body.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Those federal barriers remained in place even as roughly half of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and even more have approved it for medical use.
—Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalize
Verb
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This is the last month (until September) in which this biggest of planets is high enough in a dark sky to permit crisp telescopic views of its cloud patterns and four big satellites.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
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Central to those cases is the idea that college athletes, at least football players at the power conference level, are a labor market that sells services and that the NCAA permitting colleges to directly pay athletes is consistent with a pro league and teams that buy athlete services.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Though the large parties associated with Spring Weekend were not sanctioned by UConn, the lawsuit contended that university officials knew about the troubles and potential dangers that would ensue based, in part, on previous altercations that had occurred.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
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After several similar situations in the Premier League this season, the refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) has been clinging to its position that all such acts must be sanctioned with a red card, in the interests of consistency.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Philly led by as many as 23 points in Game 6 and didn’t allow any Celtic to score 20 points.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Nexstar contends the deal would strengthen TV station economics, allowing stations to bolster their news gathering and expand the number of newscasts.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The Florida Senate later approved the plan in a 21-17 vote.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Florida Legislature approved the new congressional map Wednesday.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The full expansion enables adults with incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level — amounting to $22,025 for a single person this year — to be eligible for Medicaid, the government program covering people with low incomes or disabilities.—
Phil Galewitz,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Marketing professor Jonah Berger emphasizes that understanding linguistics can enhance our communication skills, enabling us to fit in, persuade, engage, and positively influence others, especially with the aid of advanced language analysis tools and his SPEACC Framework.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Unlike nursing home employees and home health aides, who must be licensed by the state Department of Public Health, there is no licensing process for homemaker companion workers.—
Jenna Carlesso,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
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The new owner is already evaluating go-to-market strategies, with a priority on licensing to expand the brand’s presence in the market place.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalize. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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