How to Use legalize in a Sentence

legalize

verb
Definition of legalizenext
Synonyms for legalizenext
  • The government has legalized the use of the new drug.
  • They wanted to legalize gambling in their city.
  • The effect of legalizing death care is not just the hostile takeover of medicine.
    — Alexander Raikin, National Review, 14 Sep. 2023
  • Thailand was the first country in Asia to legalize cannabis.
    — Jintamas Saksornchai, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Feb. 2024
  • The bill would not have legalized the sale of the substances and would have barred any possession of the substances on school grounds.
    — CBS News, 7 Oct. 2023
  • Washington was one of the first two states, along with Colorado, to legalize the use and sale of cannabis by adults in 2012.
    — Gene Johnson, ajc, 8 Apr. 2023
  • This week, Abrams launched a campaign in Georgia with the call to legalize sports betting.
    — Essence, 16 Sep. 2022
  • Twitter’s more lax rules come as more states legalize cannabis sales.
    — Verne Kopytoff, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2023
  • In 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize the production and sale of recreational cannabis.
    — Diana Durán, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2022
  • Now, Kentucky is one of 38 states that has legalized sports betting.
    — C.l. Brown, The Courier-Journal, 29 May 2023
  • After the ban was struck down, states have been allowed to legalize sports betting and launch their own programs.
    — Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
  • The decline in drinking over the past decade has come as many states have legalized marijuana.
    — Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Jan. 2024
  • In 2016, the state legalized open carry for permit holders; then the legislature got rid of the need for a permit.
    — Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2023
  • Connecticut became the 19th state last year to legalize adult-use cannabis.
    — Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2022
  • Twenty-one states have now legalized the recreational use of cannabis by adults.
    — Gene Johnson, Andrew Selsky, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Apr. 2023
  • But five years ago this month, the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban, allowing states to legalize sports betting.
    — The Week Staff, The Week, 21 May 2023
  • The Supreme Court in May 2018 made a ruling to grant states the power to legalize sports betting at their choosing, with their own rules and regulations.
    — Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2023
  • Over the past decade, there has been a trend toward legalizing marijuana in the United States.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN, 20 Apr. 2023
  • Lawmakers have tried for years to pass a bill that would legalize aid in dying in Connecticut.
    — Jenna Carlesso, Hartford Courant, 11 Oct. 2022
  • Washington became the first state to legalize the practice in 2019.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2023
  • The infractions occurred within a week of the state legalizing sports betting on Jan. 31.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
  • Cannabis has been legalized for medical and/or recreational use in over half of US states.
    — New Atlas, 13 Sep. 2024
  • More than two years since cannabis was legalized in the state, only 26 dispensaries, and just 11 of them in New York City, have actually opened their doors.
    — Curbed, 18 Oct. 2023
  • Issue 4, to legalize cannabis for residents 21 and older, will be on the Nov. 8 ballots.
    — From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2022
  • But some of the businesses have run afoul of the law, even as states such as New Mexico have legalized marijuana.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 24 June 2024
  • Some rural and coastal Oregon counties legalized self-serve gas at night starting in 2015.
    — oregonlive, 4 Aug. 2023
  • Liberals have long pressed Mr. Biden to legalize cannabis.
    — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2022
  • Over 300 laws are set to go into effect Saturday — the same day that cannabis will be legalized for adult recreational use.
    — Hannah Gaskill, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2023
  • An Emerson College Poll that was released on Sept. 6 showed 64% of support for legalizing adult-use cannabis.
    — Zack Huffman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Uruguay became the first country to legalize cannabis for recreational use and developed one of the world’s greenest grids, powered by 98% renewable energy.
    — Nayara Batschke and Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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