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

Each has also pleaded guilty in the federal case.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Wang resigned from the City Council on Monday after reaching an agreement to resolve the federal case.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 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