federal case

NOUN

minor problem made into a major issue

Synonyms

WEAK

big deal much ado about nothing storm in a teacup

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.

In the federal case, the judge ruled that prosecutors could use the backpack evidence in question.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Yet the federal case against Smith-Griffin began before Trump took office.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

The federal case carries the same potential punishment after a US judge barred prosecutors in late January from seeking the death penalty against Mangione.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

This is similar to another federal case against Uber a few years ago that helped set up the precedent for the current case.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2025

But what hope had the West Computers of making a federal case out of something so banal as a cafeteria sign?

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly