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.

That can happen in civil litigation: Sometimes you have a private agreement, where both sides agree that they want to get rid of the case before they make a federal case out of it.

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

Each has also pleaded guilty in the federal case.

From BBC • May 13, 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

“She didn’t have to go make a federal case out of it.”

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia