ground rules

noun

plural of ground rule
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ground rules The official spoke under condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House for the call. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 Representatives of Bonta and Paramount Skydance came together late last week to set ground rules for Monday’s meeting, which was to involve Paramount Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 Resident Nancy Clifton-Hawkins was an amazing moderator who quickly laid out the goals and ground rules. — Terri Daxon, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2026 Consider the 2012 General Agreement in Colombia, which established guidelines for future negotiations, an agenda, and ground rules that gave the talks structure and stability. — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 To control the dangerous unfettered use of magic, an oversight council established ground rules on what is considered forbidden magic and the knowledge of its existence. — Kalai Chik, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 New York state set a one-year pause on building AI data centers to establish some ground rules. — Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 23 July 2026 Tips for Getting Along With Your In-Laws Some in-laws are harder to deal with than others, and some are flat-out impossible, but experts agree that most relationships can flourish when certain ground rules apply. — Margaret Renkl, Parents, 23 July 2026 Should couples set spending ground rules before moving in together? — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground rules
  1. rules
  2. regulations
  3. laws
  4. codes
Noun
  • Three other three-judge panels on the 5th Circuit -- one in this case and two in an earlier one -- and two district courts have already agreed that rules for prescribing mifepristone are too loose.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The revolutionary idea that the ruled rather than the rulers decide the rules emerged only haltingly.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of rules
Noun
  • The government also has cracked down on foreigners who overstay visas or seek to circumvent property-ownership regulations, while also shortening visa-free stays.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Newsom touted those regulations as the most far-reaching of their kind in the nation.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of regulations
Noun
  • As of March, 386 people had been arrested under the Beijing and Hong Kong national security laws, with 176 people and four ​companies convicted, Reuters reported, citing the local Security Bureau.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Albert Ramdin, secretary general of the Organization of American States, said while the hemispheric body cannot compel countries to keep undocumented migrants when their laws do not permit it, as in the case of the termination of TPS.
    — Gérard Maxineau, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of laws
Noun
  • Case codes to justify a search, previously optional, will be mandatory, and the audit log will be upgraded so that Flock can detect abnormal search patterns and block those users.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Navigating nostalgia True Religion has more than 20 years of recognizable brand codes, from the Horseshoe and Buddha to Big T and Super T stitching.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of codes

Browse Nearby Words

ground rule
ground rules
grounds
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ground rules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20rules. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of empirical

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All