LAWS Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

laws

noun

plural of law

as in acts

a rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature a record number of laws were passed in that legislative session

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

higher laws

as in constitutions

a collection or system of rules of conduct it's important to obey the law at all times, or else you might end up in jail

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in police

the department of government that keeps order, fights crime, and enforces statutes a petty thief who had somehow managed to avoid the law for most of his life

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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 laws The fire prompted stricter child labor laws and more mine rescue stations. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026 Federal and state laws prohibit the District from disclosing confidential personnel matters or personally identifiable student information. — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026 The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is conducting its own investigation into whether laws were broken. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2026 Nearly all were white Democrats as laws restricted where Black people could live, work and go to school. — Corey Williams, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026 The publishers sued under antitrust laws, and their argument hinged on convincing the court that AI Overviews was a separate product from Google Search. — Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 13 Nov. 2026 Put in place federal or state laws restricting the use of facial recognition, with suitable judicial oversight. — Tk Vinod Kumar, The Conversation, 13 Nov. 2026 Federal laws also ban emotional support animals from inside restaurants. — Joe Kinsey, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2026 Their participation strengthens our challenge by giving the court a valuable perspective on what these laws were designed to do and where presidential authority ends. — Rich Percival, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laws

Noun

Working in Brown’s favor is his stadium-conquering joint R&B Tour with Usher, which has reinforced his status as one of the most lucrative touring acts in Black music history.

— Kyle Denis, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2026
Silent Crow gives an even higher figure of 450,100 which included those killed in combat, non-combat losses among military personnel and deaths marked as terrorist acts.

— Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of acts

Noun

In Florida, as in Washington, the best constitutions are only as effective as the good faith of the people sworn to enforce them.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2026
Structures like boards, family councils, constitutions and decision-making frameworks remain indispensable.

— Walid Chiniara, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of constitutions

Noun

Several other Orban-era officials, including the former governor of the Central Bank, are also in police detention on suspicion of fraud and corruption crimes.

— Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2026
At least six fatal crashes resulting in nine deaths, along with multiple multi-injury collisions, have occurred on the stretch between Downtown and Gregory Boulevard over the last three years, according to media and local police reports.

— Mará Rose Williams November 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Nov. 2026

Definition of police

Noun

Volusia County became the only Florida county to ban declawing in 2022 when commissioners overhauled its animal ordinances.

— Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2026
Chief Rodriguez said the city and Police Department comply with all applicable state laws and Santa Ana’s municipal sanctuary ordinances governing federal immigration enforcement.

— Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of ordinances

Noun

Hinojosa would not be able to simply repeal existing statutes by executive order, including immigration laws, meaning state lawmakers would need to be on board with major changes.

— Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2026
The prosecutor's conclusion differed from an Agriculture Department investigator's assessment that Garner had violated criminal statutes, according to the report.

— Christopher Harris, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of statutes

Noun

The family has been contacting lawyers and social services agencies to get help paying for bills and utilities.

— Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 2026
SpaceX said the development could reduce electricity bills for cooperative members by up to 20 percent.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of bills

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lawns

laws

lawsuit

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Style

“Laws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laws. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of laws

noun

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