federal case
Americannoun
idioms
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.
That can happen in civil litigation: Sometimes you have a private agreement, where both sides agree that they want to get rid of the case before they make a federal case out of it.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges and a separate federal case.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Each has also pleaded guilty in the federal case.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Eileen Wang, an Arcadia city leader facing charges of acting as an illegal foreign agent of China, resigned Monday after reaching an agreement to resolve the federal case.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
