1
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to declare
to state clearly and strongly
at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to specify
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay down
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
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
Once the mattress was placed on the new queen bed frame, that first lay down was glorious.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2026
Drink now or lay down for a few years.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 14 May 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
Once the mattress was placed on the new queen bed frame, that first lay down was glorious.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2026
Drink now or lay down for a few years.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
Verb
-
Britain will use a similar model to Australia, which enacted a ban last December, the government said.—
Paul Sandle,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
The industry argued that New York’s public nuisance law is preempted by the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, enacted by Congress in 2005.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
Verb
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On a Saturday in March 2020 as the world was on the verge of shutting down in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Feinglos – then a senior policy adviser in North Carolina – was tapped to help the state declare a lockdown of the state’s schools.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
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He was declared dead at San Jose’s Good Samaritan Hospital around an hour later.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
New Hampshire Fish and Game did not specify any additional details surrounding Luth's medical emergency.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
These sites have not yet been specified.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The military relinquished its remaining ownership stake in the 1990s.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
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The compromise is mainly symbolic since FCAS is a generic name for such systems and not unique to this plan, but officials have been seeking a formula allowing Macron to relinquish the core fighter without having to declare the whole project dead.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
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For a performer whose studio has passed, the practical effect is that the actor absorbs the cost of staying on the ballot.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
The legislature passed a bill allowing Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy & Financing to begin work on the concept, noting the potential of saving Coloradans $46 million over three years.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The Big 12’s overarching thesis is that Texas Tech shouldn’t be able to play an athlete who has admitted to betting on his own team and who, the conference asserts, has placed thousands of bets on college and pro sports either directly or through an intermediary from 2022 to 2026.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
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Trump has asserted multiple times in recent weeks the countries were on the cusp of a deal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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British artist David Hockney, considered one of the most influential and defining figures in contemporary art, whose paintings captured the world in brilliant color, has died aged 88, his publicist announced Friday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
For cities and counties, population growth is universally seen as a metric that defines success.—
Christopher Briem,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Prior to that, Copilot generated its response using raw HTML, which is temporarily rendered in the browser DOM.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
16 June 2026
-
Paramedics responded and rendered aid to the man before pronouncing him dead at the scene.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20down. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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