federal case

noun

: big deal
don't make a federal case out of it

Examples of federal case in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Georgia State University's Phillips said the lawsuits just add to the flurry of pending federal cases, some of which are likely to eventually reach the Supreme Court. Bobby Allyn, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026 Henry has a history of filing lawsuits without the aid of an attorney and has been essentially barred from filing federal cases in Illinois’ Northern District, according to court documents. Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026 Karen Friedman Agnifilo, one of Mangione's lead defense lawyers, asked for several months of extra time, saying Mangione's legal team needed to prepare for the federal case after his state trial. Michael Ruiz , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026 In the federal case, Mangione faces two counts of stalking, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Adam Reiss, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for federal case

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of federal case was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Federal case.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federal%20case. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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