lie down
verb
lay down; lain down; lying down; lies down
1
: to submit meekly or abjectly to defeat, disappointment, or insult
—used chiefly in the phrase take (something) lying down
… if Walker does get the go-ahead to implement his anti-union law, the teachers in Madison aren't going to take it lying down, Matthew says. They may walk out on the job again.—
Matthew Rothschild
Matthew Rothschild2
: to fail to perform or to neglect one's part deliberately
—used chiefly in the phrase lie down on the job
While the Sanitation Department was accused of lying down on the job, the police were accused of harassment …—Walter Thabit
see also lie entry 1 sense 1b
Walter ThabitExamples of lie down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another photo showed the two lying down in a play pen, seemingly exhausted after some playtime.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024
To give it a try, find a quiet place to sit or lie down.
—Alice Oglethorpe, SELF, 10 May 2024
Sit or lay down with your feet elevated about 12 inches to prevent swelling in the legs and improve blood flow to the brain.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 10 May 2024
But wary shareholders aren’t prepared to take a fresh push for higher CEO pay lying down.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 9 May 2024
Many of the most fragile garments have to be displayed lying down, inside glass boxes, much like the titular fairy tale character.
—Vogue, 6 May 2024
Smiley suffered permanent injury from an untreated broken pelvis from a truncheon blow and could not bend or lie down without assistance for two weeks.
—Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
As expected, internet providers are not going to take this lying down and will pursue the options available to them to stop net neutrality from happening.
—Oscar Gonzalez / Gizmodo, Quartz, 26 Apr. 2024
Ann is seen walking or sitting or lying down in rooms that, however cramped, seem like empty expanses.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024
To give it a try, find a quiet place to sit or lie down.
—Alice Oglethorpe, SELF, 10 May 2024
Sit or lay down with your feet elevated about 12 inches to prevent swelling in the legs and improve blood flow to the brain.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 10 May 2024
But wary shareholders aren’t prepared to take a fresh push for higher CEO pay lying down.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 9 May 2024
Many of the most fragile garments have to be displayed lying down, inside glass boxes, much like the titular fairy tale character.
—Vogue, 6 May 2024
Smiley suffered permanent injury from an untreated broken pelvis from a truncheon blow and could not bend or lie down without assistance for two weeks.
—Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
As expected, internet providers are not going to take this lying down and will pursue the options available to them to stop net neutrality from happening.
—Oscar Gonzalez / Gizmodo, Quartz, 26 Apr. 2024
Ann is seen walking or sitting or lying down in rooms that, however cramped, seem like empty expanses.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lie down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20down. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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