1
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to declare
to state clearly and strongly
at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to specify
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay down
The whiskey was laid down in 1978, which Thomas described as a bad time for the Irish whiskey industry given that there were just two distilleries operating at the time—Bushmills and Midleton.
—
Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2025
Abdallah Ocalan, the head of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as the PKK—a Kurdish militant group affiliated with the YPG that has long fought the Turkish state—called for fighters loyal to him to lay down their weapons and stop waging war against Turkey.
—Robert S. Ford, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2025
President Donald Trump laid down the hammer on Mexico and Canada Tuesday, hitting the United States’ North American neighbors with 25-percent duties on a range of products and services after a month-long deferral failed to lead to a resolution.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2025
Over at the Girlfriends Check-In, the ladies start arriving, and Quad lays down the ground rules: cocktails are a must, and no one can bring up the past.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2025
Abdallah Ocalan, the head of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as the PKK—a Kurdish militant group affiliated with the YPG that has long fought the Turkish state—called for fighters loyal to him to lay down their weapons and stop waging war against Turkey.
—Robert S. Ford, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2025
President Donald Trump laid down the hammer on Mexico and Canada Tuesday, hitting the United States’ North American neighbors with 25-percent duties on a range of products and services after a month-long deferral failed to lead to a resolution.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 4 Mar. 2025
Over at the Girlfriends Check-In, the ladies start arriving, and Quad lays down the ground rules: cocktails are a must, and no one can bring up the past.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
Verb
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One of the underlying actuarial assumptions of Social Security when it was enacted, apparently, was that the government wouldn’t be paying a whole lot of money to a whole lot of retirees.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Illinois, California and Minnesota have enacted laws protecting the earnings of young creators, and Minnesota's law includes a similar provision to Utah's that allows content featuring minors to be taken down.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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After an over 80-year run reigning supreme as one of the top one-stop-shop destinations for all things arts and crafts, Joann—previously Jo-Ann Fabrics—has officially declared the closing of all retail locations across the United States.—
Elizabeth Grace Coyne,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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South Carolina wildfires Wildfires extended into neighboring South Carolina, prompting Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency on Saturday.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The dog-walk area was not specified in our purchase agreement, but we were all informed verbally of the same information.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2025
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Rader acknowledged that not every child younger than 5 is eligible for the measles vaccine, and his study didn’t specify the exact ages of the children younger than 5 who were unvaccinated.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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She was relinquished by her first adoptive family due to her behavioral issues.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
19 Mar. 2025
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Britain’s slimmer new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also relinquished the U.K.’s past leadership in research and expertise, largely due to pay reductions and restrictions on hiring non-British nationals.—
Sarah Stroup,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Background Congress passed the CTA after years of discussion over the problems created by anonymous shell companies, including money laundering and drug trafficking.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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Despite criticism from human rights groups and opposing legislators – some of whom let off smoke flares in Hungary’s parliament on Tuesday – the law was passed in a 136-27 vote, with support from Orban’s party and their minority coalition partner the Christian Democrats.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Alien and Sedition Acts elicited a firestorm of criticism soon after they were passed, including from Jefferson and James Madison, who asserted that states have the right and duty to declare some federal laws unconstitutional.—
Daniel Tichenor,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
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In August, during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference, Trump falsely asserted that Harris had not identified before as both Black and Indian.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Sample said constitutional scholars have differed on what exactly defines a constitutional crisis.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2025
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The original music video is basically a love letter to the sandwich itself, packed with shoutouts to favorite bodegas, playful debates over prices, and the kind of everyday moments that define a New York morning.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There is no reason to say that the current challenges render AI’s implementation impossible.—
William Tarr,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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That renders every emotional moment (what made the original Lion King so terrific) utterly lifeless.—
Barry Levitt,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20down. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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