How to Use mandamus in a Sentence

mandamus

noun
  • Writ of mandamus basically goes to the court and says, there is a state officer not doing their job.
    — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
  • If Cannon fails to act by the deadline, the appeals court could revive the mandamus petitions or take further steps to compel a decision or release.
    — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The appeals court didn't order the Court of Claims to issue mandamus in a specific time frame, instead opting to allow the court to determine when the bills must be presented.
    — Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 27 Oct. 2025
  • But for the families pressing the mandamus petition, the criminal case remains the clearest measure of whether the federal justice system will impose consequences when corporate failures have catastrophic human costs.
    — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
  • What Happens Next The mandamus petition now moves to the Fifth Circuit, which must first decide whether the families’ challenge to Boeing’s dismissal meets the high bar for extraordinary relief.
    — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
  • If Cannon denies the motions—or does not issue a ruling before the Eleventh Circuit’s deadline—the case will almost certainly return to the appellate court, which could revive the pending mandamus petitions or order further action to compel a decision.
    — Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mandamus.' 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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