as in permits
to make (something) legal
They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
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Recent Examples of legalizes
This day in sports history 1944 — NFL legalizes coaching from bench.
—
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
In December, the Chicago City Council passed a provision in the 2026 budget that legalizes licensing of unregulated video gambling terminals within the city limits.
—Julie Darling, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
This is in reference to Assembly Bill 720, a new California law which for the first time, legalizes tastings and wine sales at California vineyards.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2026
The measure also legalizes possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis concentrates by adults, as well as cannabis edibles containing up to 2,000 milligrams of THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana.
—A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
First, my plan legalizes the ability for any group to purchase insurance collectively and operate across state lines.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
Both medical and recreational use are legal in Colorado, and New Mexico passed a law this year that legalizes certain medical uses.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025
Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
In December, the Chicago City Council passed a provision in the 2026 budget that legalizes licensing of unregulated video gambling terminals within the city limits.
—Julie Darling, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
This is in reference to Assembly Bill 720, a new California law which for the first time, legalizes tastings and wine sales at California vineyards.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2026
The measure also legalizes possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis concentrates by adults, as well as cannabis edibles containing up to 2,000 milligrams of THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana.
—A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
First, my plan legalizes the ability for any group to purchase insurance collectively and operate across state lines.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
Both medical and recreational use are legal in Colorado, and New Mexico passed a law this year that legalizes certain medical uses.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legalizes
Verb
-
If time permits, disconnect utilities and appliances.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
-
All residential outdoor burn permits across San Diego County will be suspended beginning next month, Cal Fire officials said Friday.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The authors note that this is especially strange since the country typically only allows Muslims to become citizens.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
1 May 2026
-
Rather than a traditional full year of hands-on classroom and production studio instruction at VFS, the hybrid alternative allows a mix of online remote learning and on-campus work in downtown Vancouver to build a professional portfolio ahead of graduation.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The county will hold a series of public workshops and hearings on the budget throughout May and June before the Board of Supervisors approves a final budget in June.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
2 May 2026
-
Major construction at the course is deferred until the NPS approves the plan.—
Christine Valora,
The Washington Examiner,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
For starters the World Cup is run by the same organization, FIFA, which sanctions virtually every level of soccer globally, from the men’s and women’s World Cups, to confederation competitions including the UEFA Championships and the Copa América, to most major age-group tournaments.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
An autocratic government that sanctions violence.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The sophisticated set by ace production designer David Gropman enables Altman’s perpetually moving and zooming camera to drift in and out of two-way mirrors that depict memories and fantasies with both immediacy and a gauzy nostalgia.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
-
Access to capable hardware lowers barriers, speeds iteration, and enables real-world testing beyond simulations, accelerating progress in embodied AI, especially in manipulation and applied robotics.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The writers got the studios to agree to alert the union if a studio licenses writers’ work for AI training and continue holding meetings with the union on implementation.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
-
But Pint confirmed that the company only licenses consumer-facing products.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the Comédie humaine, Balzac contrasts Rastignac’s relatively principled personality to that of another climber, Lucien de Rubempré, who accepts Vautrin’s help only to suffer the consequences.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Social Security Administration then publicizes it and accepts public comments.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a group dedicated to hunters and fisherman, helped develop and pass the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, which authorizes an annual $70 million investment through 2028 to fund research aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Lawmakers followed with another step forward, passing House Bill 115, which authorizes automatic voter registration as part of the reentry process.—
Nicole D. Porter,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legalizes. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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