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
Many of these groups, including Nallen Copley’s, have strict ground rules against pitching products and deals and gatekeep against vendors or brokers.
—
Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Are Hal and Kate planning to assess and adjust their expectations and ground rules at the six-month or one-year mark?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
There are a few ground rules to follow when assembling your bulb lasagna in order to get good results.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Factionalism, doctrine, ground rules, justifications are, in Anderson’s film, irrelevant, meaning that French 75’s actions take place in an intellectual void.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
No ground rules needed to be set before cameras began to roll.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Publishing income sharing agreements exist among major acts in the music business, and platinum-level acts such as U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers built their careers by establishing royalty-sharing ground rules at an early stage, thereby avoiding costly litigation and personal conflict later on.
—Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
After reports that Prince Harry had his own list of requests to go on with the reconciliation, there are now rumors that King Charles has his own ground rules, too, for the upcoming meeting.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
Despite going no-contact, the woman finally approached her mother-in-law about establishing some ground rules in order to move forward.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Are Hal and Kate planning to assess and adjust their expectations and ground rules at the six-month or one-year mark?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
There are a few ground rules to follow when assembling your bulb lasagna in order to get good results.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
Factionalism, doctrine, ground rules, justifications are, in Anderson’s film, irrelevant, meaning that French 75’s actions take place in an intellectual void.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
No ground rules needed to be set before cameras began to roll.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Publishing income sharing agreements exist among major acts in the music business, and platinum-level acts such as U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers built their careers by establishing royalty-sharing ground rules at an early stage, thereby avoiding costly litigation and personal conflict later on.
—Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
After reports that Prince Harry had his own list of requests to go on with the reconciliation, there are now rumors that King Charles has his own ground rules, too, for the upcoming meeting.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
Despite going no-contact, the woman finally approached her mother-in-law about establishing some ground rules in order to move forward.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground rules
Noun
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So there's really no choice but for the four major conference commissioners to compile a set of rules and guidelines that make at least a marginal bit of sense.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
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Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck, a witness called by Democrats, said the nondisclosure process followed then-existing DOJ guidelines and that Congress only revised notification rules after a 2024 inspector general report.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Europe is introducing new regulations, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which makes imports of high-carbon steel more expensive.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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The bill, which advanced from the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday, would exempt Proposition 4 funding from review under the Administrative Procedure Act, which dictates how state agencies follow rules and regulations and can cause lengthy delays in implementing programs.—
Nadia Lathan,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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State Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing four big oil companies under antitrust laws alleging a decades-long conspiracy to undermine the adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles that has led Michiganders to face higher energy costs and greater exposure to climate change.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Assessors statewide operate under the same laws and consistency matters.—
Jeffrey Prang,
Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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About 87% of Connecticut ZIP codes meet that criteria, according to a CNBC analysis of Census Bureau data.—
Jessica Dickler,Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Curated by Blazy, who was named the creative director for the maison in 2024 following the departure of Virginie Viard, the collection signaled a new chapter for Chanel, and a fresh take on the French luxury fashion house’s design codes.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ground rules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20rules. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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