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

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 And both of them laid down the basic tracks for that song. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 Hamas could end this conflict today by releasing the hostages, laying down arms, and surrendering those responsible for October 7th. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Overall, many of them are very ripe—due to that heat spike—and will be best enjoyed within the next several years rather than to lay down for long aging. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024 The death of the prominent Vladimir Putin critic and opposition leader Friday prompted people in dozens of Russian cities to visit makeshift memorials and monuments to victims of political repression, laying down candles and flowers. Greg Norman, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2024 And with that, the doc is both an immensely intimate paean to David—who was initially reluctant and laid down some ground rules. Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 The Wolves did appear to think Portland (15-39) would lay down after Minnesota jumped out to such a large advantage. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2024 The video shows student volunteers who were paired up, one set sitting on chairs while the others laid down below them and licked peanut butter off of their toes. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 2 Mar. 2024 Thirty to forty people, in the late-winter sun, laid down a carpet of bright flowers. Naaman Zhou, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lay down was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near lay down

Cite this Entry

“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20down. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lay down

verb
1
: establish sense 1, prescribe
lay down standards
2
: to state or declare forcefully
lay down the law

More from Merriam-Webster on lay down

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