press charges
Americanidiom
Etymology
Origin of press charges
First recorded in 1885–90
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.
Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, rightly opened a criminal investigation into the matter and subsequently decided to press charges against five reservists.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025
And when Maggie decides to press charges against Hank and tell her story to the press, the fallout unsurprisingly does not seem great enough.
From Salon • Sep. 25, 2025
Prosecutors later looked at the evidence and refused to press charges.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2025
After a 10-month investigation, Norwegian police have now handed the case over to prosecutors who will decide whether to press charges, police attorney Andreas Kruszewski said.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025
Tuttle announced, “I’ve decided, just now, to drop this matter and not press charges against Ms. Grayson.”
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
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.
