"Wast sanctioned" can be replaced by various synonyms depending on the context. If we focus on the word "wast," we can use synonyms like "was," "were," or "had been." As for "sanctioned," we can use alternatives like "approved," "authorized," "endorsed," "ratified," or "validated."
For instance, "the act was sanctioned by the authorities" can be replaced with "the act was approved by the authorities," or "the act was authorized by the authorities." Similarly, "the proposal had been sanctioned by the committee" can be rephrased as "the proposal had been approved by the committee," or "the proposal had been endorsed by the committee."
Therefore, it is essential to have an extensive vocabulary to express ourselves more precisely and vary our language.