1
as in acts
a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature
a record number of laws were passed in that legislative session
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in constitutions
a collection or system of rules of conduct
it's important to obey the law at all times, or else you might end up in jail
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in police
the department of government that keeps order, fights crime, and enforces statutes
a petty thief who had somehow managed to avoid the law for most of his life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of laws
However, some Idaho taxpayers can expect longer waits on refunds due to state tax conformity laws the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
—
Hali Smith
april 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2026
The mayor also says the city could need to stop enforcing laws against street camping and vehicle habitation if there are major cuts to city-run lots for people living in vehicles or tents.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
The session culminated in two new price-gouging laws.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
That would involve changing some state laws, persuading housing lenders to be more accommodating and overcoming resistance from construction unions.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Federal privacy laws require such documents before a federal agency collects or disseminates personal, identifiable information about the public for a new purpose.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
Banks are tightly regulated by laws meant to protect consumers from theft and fraud.
—Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
These immigrants include those whose only violations are for immigration laws, such as visa overstays and reentry after deportation, some of whom are awaiting their immigration hearings.
—Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Congress, however, is ultimately responsible for passing laws that set federal spending.
—Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 3 Apr. 2026
Hali Smith
april 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2026
The mayor also says the city could need to stop enforcing laws against street camping and vehicle habitation if there are major cuts to city-run lots for people living in vehicles or tents.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
The session culminated in two new price-gouging laws.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
That would involve changing some state laws, persuading housing lenders to be more accommodating and overcoming resistance from construction unions.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Federal privacy laws require such documents before a federal agency collects or disseminates personal, identifiable information about the public for a new purpose.
—Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
Banks are tightly regulated by laws meant to protect consumers from theft and fraud.
—Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
These immigrants include those whose only violations are for immigration laws, such as visa overstays and reentry after deportation, some of whom are awaiting their immigration hearings.
—Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Congress, however, is ultimately responsible for passing laws that set federal spending.
—Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laws
Noun
-
Dion will perform multiple shows per week throughout September and October at the 40,000-seat venue, which has previously hosted major acts such as Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones and Kendrick Lamar.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Though Israel technically has the death penalty on the books as a possible punishment for acts of genocide, espionage during wartime and certain terror offenses, the country hasn’t put anyone to death since Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Leaders of several former Soviet republics, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, have previously used new or amended constitutions to revise statutory term limits.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Founding Father James Madison included this important bulwark against governmental overreaching in his introductory draft of the Bill of Rights, and it was then incorporated into the United States Constitution and many of the individual state constitutions.—
Barbara Jaffe,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Williams was apprehended by police a few days later.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As of early Tuesday morning, police said no arrests had been made.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And decibel levels would abide by local noise ordinances, with the facility’s HVAC system making about as much sound as a standard office system, according to the company.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The complaint also alleges that the project is violating ordinances setting limits on lighting and noise levels, and an ordinance that prohibits storage of combustible materials, including diesel generators.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Because the feudal courts, chivalric codes, and aristocratic patronage that had sustained it were gone.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
But more recently, particularly in the past decade, a tension has both emerged and persisted, as hinted at by the color-codes in the image above.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike other international financial heavyweights like the IMF or the World Bank, the Paris Club lacks a legal mandate or statutes.—
Sven van Mourik,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As the college sports industry continues to evolve, DOJ will look for ways to apply already existing criminal statutes, like the wire fraud statute, to areas susceptible to fraudulent or corrupt conduct.—
Robert L. Boone,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The dueling bills leave the shutdown without an end in sight.—
Caroline Linton,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
That will enable getting cheaper, cleaner renewable energy onto the grid faster to reduce electric bills.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those amendments still require ratification by 38 states— so there’s no risk of a runaway rewrite of the founding document.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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But its parliament has just passed controversial amendments to such laws, which remove the right to self-identification and narrow the definition of ‘transgender’.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laws. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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