gag order

noun

: a judicial ruling barring public disclosure or discussion (as by the press) of information related to a case
broadly : a similar nonjudicial prohibition against the release of confidential information or against public discussion of a sensitive matter

Examples of gag order in a Sentence

The judge has issued a gag order.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
At the request of prosecutors, the judge imposed a gag order prohibiting Mr. Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and jurors. Kate Christobek, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Trump had previously tried — also unsuccessfully — to appeal to the highest court to lift a gag order that is still in place in the case until he is sentenced, barring him from speaking about prosecutors on the case, court staff or their families. Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 9 Jan. 2025 President-elect Trump took to Truth Social to share his frustration after a judge set a Jan. 10 sentencing date in his New York hush money case, calling out a gag order which prevents him from discussing court staffers and prosecutors. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 4 Jan. 2025 The gag order was lifted Friday after Allen's sentencing. Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gag order 

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gag order was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near gag order

Cite this Entry

“Gag order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gag%20order. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Legal Definition

gag order

see order sense 3b

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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