as in rules
a statement spelling out the proper procedure or conduct for an activity
before the debate begins, let's lay out some ground rules
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Recent Examples of ground rules
The official spoke on the condition anonymity on ground rules set by the White House.
—
CBS News, 13 June 2026
Bills were introduced in Springfield over the spring to impose ground rules on data center development.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
The official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity on ground rules set by the White House, said Trump also plans to meet on the sideline of the summit with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to discuss efforts to wind down the Iran war.
—Munir Ahmed, Fortune, 11 June 2026
No lecture or strict ground rules are required.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 4 June 2026
But Alamo breaks his own ground rules, raising his pistol and attempting to fire before the glass breaks.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 June 2026
The 62-year-old actor and director, who was greeted by a group of autograph seekers over the weekend, has drawn criticism for laying out ground rules before proceeding with the signing.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Through the mystery of one person’s fate, a young hero awakens to certain ground rules and discovers a haunted place.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
CBS News, 13 June 2026
Bills were introduced in Springfield over the spring to impose ground rules on data center development.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
The official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity on ground rules set by the White House, said Trump also plans to meet on the sideline of the summit with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to discuss efforts to wind down the Iran war.
—Munir Ahmed, Fortune, 11 June 2026
No lecture or strict ground rules are required.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 4 June 2026
But Alamo breaks his own ground rules, raising his pistol and attempting to fire before the glass breaks.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 June 2026
The 62-year-old actor and director, who was greeted by a group of autograph seekers over the weekend, has drawn criticism for laying out ground rules before proceeding with the signing.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
Through the mystery of one person’s fate, a young hero awakens to certain ground rules and discovers a haunted place.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground rules
Noun
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The lack of information generally is a big issue for blind travelers as well, along with airline and airport employees not understanding the rules that govern accommodations for blind passengers.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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Jessop, the Leave-supporting economist, believes the UK should make better use of its freedom from EU rules to cut red tape and lower trade barriers with the rest of the world.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Noun
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The park must comply with California’s strict emissions regulations by February 2027, according to the Orange County Register.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
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The Broward County Commission approved new regulations this week targeting condo elevator maintenance, a move aimed at forcing building owners and homeowners' associations to establish formal protocols during outages.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
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These laws apply to the jurisdiction where the bet is placed -- one of the reasons why each bettor’s mobile device must be GPS-located before a wager is placed.—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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In ordering Anthropic to obtain US approval for foreign nationals to use its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expanded the boundaries of laws governing transfers of sensitive technology to target the mere usage of cutting-edge AI models.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
Noun
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The Fort Worth City Council is considering a slate of changes to its development codes to protect residents from the negative effects of data center development while still capturing some economic benefit for the city.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
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The Georgia General Assembly will convene Wednesday in a special session to redraw the state’s political maps for the 2028 elections and address a deadline to remove QR codes from state election ballots.—
Sophia Eppley,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ground rules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20rules. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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