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.

They didn’t do that because they wanted to have the trappings and the veneer of making it look as if it were a real federal case.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

Lawyers for the school districts in the federal case said in a statement, “Our focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 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

In the past, they've asked Judge Carro to pause the proceedings while the federal case takes place, a request he has denied.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 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