How to Use criminalize in a Sentence

criminalize

verb
  • The law does not criminalize fear.
    — Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Trayvon fit the bill, criminalized because of his hoodie and brown skin.
    — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Right now there are two laws that criminalize threats of violence.
    — Scott Travis, sun-sentinel.com, 16 Oct. 2019
  • And then the other two states there is either a ban or attempts to criminalize it.
    — CBS News, 6 Nov. 2022
  • The march had been planned in response to a law that will criminalize some drag performances.
    — Daniella Silva, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2023
  • On paper, there are no laws criminalizing women who do not wear the abaya.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2019
  • Named for the late children, the law would criminalize lying in the pursuit of at-home child-care jobs.
    — Maureen O'Connor, The Cut, 16 Apr. 2018
  • Dissent has been criminalized as extremist and can lead to sentences of life in prison.
    — Shibani Mahtani, Washington Post, 8 June 2023
  • His first order of business was to introduce a state bill to criminalize the type of scam that led to his son’s death.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN, 13 May 2023
  • What kind of belonging criminalizes your very breath?
    — Sonny Alejandra, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
  • In England at least, it’s now criminalized.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2026
  • That all recently came to a screeching halt when the city criminalized the substance.
    — Theara Coleman, The Week, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Yet some states, like Texas, continue to criminalize the drug.
    — Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2021
  • Trump’s comment makes the case against criminalizing speech.
    — The Detroit News Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025
  • That ruling said the law does not criminalize statements that are misleading but true.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
  • That ruling said the law does not criminalize statements that are misleading but true.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
  • So rather than, than further criminalize their hobby Jackson sought to draw them in.
    — Laura Johnston, cleveland, 24 May 2022
  • Gang members are being brought into the kids' protests and are criminalizing the protests.
    — NBC News, 22 Apr. 2018
  • Put in plain English, this statute does not criminalize lying to the public.
    — David French, National Review, 1 Feb. 2018
  • About 38 states have feticide statutes, which criminalize killing a fetus.
    — Melissa Jeltsen, The Atlantic, 1 July 2022
  • The decision is subject to state laws that can criminalize the practice.
    — Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2021
  • They may be criminalized for sleeping on the street and have a record that prevents them from accessing housing again.
    — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 29 July 2024
  • Open criticism of the war was criminalized early on.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
  • In India, the push to criminalize marital rape goes back decades.
    — Sarita Santoshini, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Apr. 2022
  • The Court was right that some presidential acts can’t be criminalized.
    — Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 July 2024
  • The court went out of its way to make clear that gay people could be criminalized under these provisions, and there was nothing wrong with that.
    — Tara Law, Time, 8 Oct. 2019
  • Gorgeous added that, rather than criminalizing trans kids who steal, or tattling on them, people should be looking for ways to help them.
    — Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 3 Sep. 2025
  • Some other cities have followed suit, and New York has moved to criminalize the practice statewide.
    — Zachary Halaschak, Washington Examiner, 12 June 2020
  • Trump can't criminalize flag burning.
    — Chris Brennan, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
  • This legislative package will also criminalize both the act of making a threat of mass harm and adding to a threat with overt acts to further it.
    — Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 6 June 2022

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

Last Updated: