as in rule
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
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Recent Examples of ground rule
This could be because the leader themselves is emotionally reactive and people are just parroting what is modeled, or because there are no ground rules for conversations and no consequences given for lashing out.
—
Blair Glaser, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
Instead, White suggests talking about things in advance and setting some ground rules.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for ground rule
Blair Glaser, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
Instead, White suggests talking about things in advance and setting some ground rules.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for ground rule
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground rule
Noun
-
Semenya, who was assigned female at birth in South Africa and has high natural testosterone levels, won a European Court of Human Rights judgment in her years-long legal challenge to track and field's rules which did not overturn them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Sweeney Bell had a tepid response, however, to a recent controversy in which dozens of local Democrats were kicked off the ballot for breaking an Indiana Democratic Party rule.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Excessive drinking—which often resulted in mischief and vandalism—was discouraged, with newspapers calling for greater discipline, regulation, and surveillance.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
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As deployment expands globally, incidents like this will likely shape future regulations, safety standards, and public trust in driverless technology.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But several Council members expressed the need for more stakeholder feedback before reaching a decision, in addition to clarity around which sections of city code the penalties would directly apply to.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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His pro-working-class mantras focused on affordability and child and health care support funded by enforcing corporate tax code while closing loopholes exploited by billionaires registers politically to the left of Thompson, a moderate Democrat.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Through a request under a Kentucky open-records law, KFF Health News obtained an informed consent form for the AL16 study used at a public institution, the University of Louisville.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Martha’s father, a law professor, had trained her to be a rational, step-by-step arguer.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ground rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20rule. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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