lay down

verb

laid down; laying down; lays down

transitive verb

1

: to give up : surrender

lay down your arms

2

a

: establish, prescribe

lay down a scale for a map

b

: to assert or command dogmatically

lay down the law

3

a

: store, preserve

laid down a young wine

b

: record

laying down songs for their new album

4

a

: to direct toward a target

lay down a barrage

b

: to hit along the ground

laid down a sacrifice bunt

intransitive verb

nonstandard : to lie down

Synonyms of lay down

• enact
• pass

Examples of lay down in a Sentence

the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals

at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments

Recent Examples on the Web

Without giving too much away, the pre-show of the attraction has been completely redone, and some of the most iconic muppets like the Penguins and Scooter are helping the Electric Mayhem lay down their next big track. —Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 20 May 2026

The ceasefire plan includes provisions for voluntary buyback of weapons in Gaza, conditional amnesty for those who lay down their arms, and safe passage abroad for those unwilling to accept the framework. —Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 14 May 2026

After the old asphalt is removed, crews lay down a base coat followed by a final layer to complete the paving process. —Da Lin, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026

Ultimately, John went and lay down in a guest room for half of the party, drove himself home and died within the next 12 hours from a brain aneurysm. —Rebecca Edmisten, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for lay down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

Kids Definition

lay down

verb

1

: establish sense 1, prescribe

lay down standards

2

: to state or declare forcefully

lay down the law