on trial

idiom

: in a situation in which evidence against one is presented in a court to a judge and often a jury to decide if one is guilty of a crime

on trial for murder

She went on trial for possession of drugs.

—sometimes used figuratively to indicate that people will think about something in a critical way

The controversial case has put the entire health care system on trial.

Examples of on trial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Once again, whenever The Baldwins needs to move into and out of a tricky topic like being on trial in the public eye for cultural appropriation, or being on actual legal trial, the series can simply turn back to its baseline premise. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025

And, when the crime boss John Gotti was on trial, his lawyers took lunch to their client by picking up a pizza at Patsy’s, wrapping the slices in aluminum foil, slipping them into their briefcases and carrying them into the courthouse. —James Barron, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

Thirty of them have already pleaded guilty to various charges, including some who had been scheduled to go on trial with Bock. —Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025

The two people charged in the sword attack on Lind, the older California landlord, are slated to go on trial this April, and Lind was set to be a key witness. —Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for on trial

• dial
• rial
• thiol
• vial
• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• sensorial
• supervisorial