as in law
control of an area by military forces rather than by the police
The government has declared martial law throughout the city to stop the riots. an area placed under martial law
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Recent Examples of martial law
The charges stem from his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, which opposition leaders have described as an unprecedented power grab.
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Kwak is accused of sending special forces troops to parliament during the martial law bid, sparking a dramatic confrontation between soldiers and parliamentary staff.
—Jason Ma, Fortune Asia, 16 Dec. 2024
South Korean prosecutors had earlier detained former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly recommended martial law and resigned in the wake of the scandal.
—Gawon Bae, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Both indexes had rebounded strongly last week after initially falling following the martial law flip-flop and failed first impeachment vote.
—Lim Hui Jie,dylan Butts, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martial law 
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Kwak is accused of sending special forces troops to parliament during the martial law bid, sparking a dramatic confrontation between soldiers and parliamentary staff.
—Jason Ma, Fortune Asia, 16 Dec. 2024
South Korean prosecutors had earlier detained former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly recommended martial law and resigned in the wake of the scandal.
—Gawon Bae, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
Both indexes had rebounded strongly last week after initially falling following the martial law flip-flop and failed first impeachment vote.
—Lim Hui Jie,dylan Butts, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for martial law
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martial law
Noun
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The firm is accusing these parties of violating various Texas state laws by allegedly offering a former client of Buzbee's money in exchange for suing his company.Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
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Indiana's new deep-fake election law doesn't cover that.Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Birthright citizenship’s legal underpinnings The notion of birthright citizenship can be traced to 1608 with Calvin’s Case, a British decision that became part of the common law adopted in the U.S. legal system’s early days.Louis Jacobson, Austin American-Statesman, 12 Dec. 2024
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Civil rights attorneys say the fallback to common law is designed to keep law enforcement officers immune from civil claims despite the 2020 reforms.Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Edgar and other Los Alamitos officials approved an ordinance that tried to exempt the city from the state law — galvanizing support from other conservative officials in the state and drawing the attention of Trump, who invited Edgar to the White House.Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
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Drivers will pay fines up to $40 for speeding – $80 in school zones – and $75 for running a red light if caught by the system, according to the ordinance.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Still, all but a handful of Senate Democrats — as well as nearly all Republicans — voted for the bill’s final passage, sending the legislation to President Biden.Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
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Republicans have suggested the sprawling measure, which runs more than 1,500 pages, is omnibus legislation—a single spending package that ties together multiple bills—rather than a continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily extend funding at existing levels.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Under South Korea’s constitution, at least six justices must approve an impeachment for it to be upheld.Gawon Bae, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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India's constitution was penned by a Dalit intellectual, known as Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar CQ.Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 15 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Martial law.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martial%20law. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
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