file/initiate a lawsuit

idiom

: to start a process by which a court of law makes a decision to end a disagreement between people or organizations
When the newspaper refused to admit that the story was false, the actor filed/initiated a lawsuit against the publisher.

Examples of file/initiate a lawsuit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The group, which has sought to halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act in cases across the country, raced to file a lawsuit on Wednesday in Federal District Court in Abilene, Texas, on behalf of two Venezuelans at the detention center. Hamed Aleaziz, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025 California to sue Trump over tariffs California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that the state will file a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's authority to impose sweeping tariffs. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025 The Texas Democratic Party has also threatened to file a lawsuit. Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025 The resolution introduced Monday would direct the legislature’s committee on legal services to file a lawsuit on behalf of the General Assembly to challenge TABOR’s constitutionality. Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for file/initiate a lawsuit

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“File/initiate a lawsuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/file%2Finitiate%20a%20lawsuit. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!