lie down

verb

lay down; lain down; lying down; lies down

intransitive verb

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
2
: 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

Examples of lie down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene to find the injured man lying down in the middle of the field, not trapped. David Chiu, People.com, 23 May 2025 Thigh stretch while lying down Lie on your stomach, bend your right knee, and grasp your ankle with your hand. Claudia Herwig, Glamour, 20 May 2025 To stabilize the soil and suppress weeds, lay down natural jute or coconut coir fabric on the slope. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 17 May 2025 After a blowout loss in the playoffs, bad teams lie down and take their punishment, good teams hold their own evenly and great teams respond with a vengeance. Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lie down

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lie down was in 1888

Cite this Entry

“Lie down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20down. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on lie down

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