How to Use probable cause in a Sentence

probable cause

noun
  • The lawyer argued that there was a lack of probable cause for a search warrant.
  • The police had probable cause to arrest him.
  • The judge found probable cause exists to hold Morales in custody on the charges.
    Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 20 Nov. 2023
  • So, at the end of the day, there wasn't enough probable cause legally to arrest him.
    Tracy Smith, CBS News, 18 May 2024
  • The car was stopped and the officer noticed probable cause to search the car.
    cleveland, 1 Sep. 2022
  • Another 2-year-old child was in the home at the time, the probable cause statement said.
    Olivia Niland, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Green found probable cause to hold Howell on the felony charges.
    Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2023
  • That’s the evidence used for probable cause to arrest and charge the killer.
    Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2022
  • There's enough probable cause there to get a search warrant.
    Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2023
  • The board concluded that the crash’s probable cause was the buildup of ice on the elevated stretch of the roadway.
    Zaeem Shaikh, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2023
  • The probable cause statement lists the offense date as April 22.
    Chelsea Curtis, The Arizona Republic, 3 Aug. 2022
  • The judge said probable cause was the standard of proof for a grand jury to indict in the rejection.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2023
  • Well, the important thing is that the grand jury found probable cause.
    ABC News, 2 Apr. 2023
  • The judge found probable cause and Steven is being held without bond.
    Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2023
  • The case went back to court where a probable cause hearing was used to charge Rodriguez anew and start the criminal case over.
    Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2022
  • At least eight jurors had to agree that there was probable cause to indict.
    Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024
  • But the affidavit itself, Andrea, would lay out the basis for the search, the probable cause.
    NBC News, 14 Aug. 2022
  • Before the court can do that, the judge must find probable cause to believe that a person should be charged with an offense.
    Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 31 May 2022
  • The pair met at a restaurant and Loughren, with a wire, got enough info for Cullen to be arrested on probable cause.
    Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 27 Oct. 2022
  • But a 15-year-old is charged as an adult, if accused of first-degree murder and if a judge finds probable cause.
    Anchorage Daily News, 14 Oct. 2022
  • But a final report, which will include the crash’s probable cause, could take up to two years to publish.
    Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2024
  • Zachary is set to appear in court for a pre-trial probable cause hearing on Sept. 10, court records show.
    Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 6 Aug. 2024
  • His next court date is July 31 for a probable cause hearing.
    Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2023
  • Hammond was found laying on the ground of the parking lot with a pool of blood surrounding her head, the probable cause statement said.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2022
  • But police didn’t yet have probable cause to obtain search warrants for DNA swabs from any of them.
    Wired, 17 Aug. 2022
  • The police did not explain how Pruitt came to their attention in the case or say how the probable cause was determined.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2022
  • The court set the probable cause conference for March 19 and the preliminary exam for March 26.
    Don Reid, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024
  • Police found and removed 16 knives, a dagger, and a sword from their home, but did not find probable cause to arrest him at that time.
    Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2023
  • The phone was found underneath her body, according to the probable cause affidavit.
    Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 14 Oct. 2024
  • The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the implosion and will make its own determination as to the probable cause.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'probable cause.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: