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Synonyms

federal case

American  

noun

  1. a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of a federal court or a federal law-enforcement agency.


idioms

  1. make a federal case (out) of, to exaggerate the importance of or make an issue out of (something trivial).

Etymology

Origin of federal case

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Mangione faces up to life in prison in the federal case.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Luigi Mangione who is accused of killing a health insurance boss in Manhattan may plead guilty to stalking charges in his federal case, The New York Times reported Thursday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

He traveled in a van with Abdel-Rahman and Emad Salem, the government informant who later became a key witness in the federal case against Abdel-Rahman.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

The Orange County district attorney’s office had originally charged Jennings in connection to the shooting but dismissed the case to allow for the federal case to proceed, according to the Justice Department.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

She’d make a big federal case out of it like Big Ma had and write back and say things that made me feel bad or want to scratch my head.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

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