in state

Idioms

With pomp and ceremony, as in The foreign leaders were dining in state at the White House. This expression, dating from the late 1600s, also appears in lie in state, said of a dead body ceremoniously exposed to public view before being interred. This latter usage, dating from about 1700, is generally confined to important public figures, as in His Majesty lay in state in the palace.

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.

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in state

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will owe $6.2 million in state and local income taxes, according to the calculator.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

He ended up catching 10 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns in one of the best playoff performances in state history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

More recently, in October of last year, New Jersey’s then-attorney general, Matthew Platkin, sued Amazon in state court over its treatment of pregnant and disabled workers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The state is also seeing lots more people buying used EVs, and lawmakers have approved millions in state incentives to replace lost federal rebates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Most of their children were in state custody again.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023