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 California voters have twice rejected ballot measures to abolish the death penalty, first in 2012 and again in 2016, and Newsom’s decision overrides the will of the courts and state laws that permit capital punishment. — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026 Speaking in Spanish, Leo emphasized the importance of protecting family life and delivered a pointed criticism of both laws. — Carrie Kahn, NPR, 7 Nov. 2026 In many cases, state laws and policies become the blueprints for federal laws. — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026 For the first half of the episode, our pals at Price, Siffre & Associates are helping an East Coast firm with a class action lawsuit against WorkSource, an AI training company that has been skirting labor laws and mistreating their contractors. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026 Due to censorship laws in Middle East, Variety hears that the scene in question — not critical but the source of much chatter — will have to be cut for it to be released. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026 Continue reading … STREET SHOWDOWN — ICE chief rips NYC sanctuary laws after agents tackle criminal migrants on streets. — FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026 And this year, Georgia--with its draconian voting suppression laws--is breaking all kinds of voting records. — Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026 But these laws may not apply to federally regulated prediction markets. — Melissa Lee,paige Tortorelli, CNBC, 30 Oct. 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

Its work included helping to rewrite the constitutions of these countries, reform court systems, and adopt democratic rule of law principles.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
Noncitizens are not eligible under federal law to vote in elections, but most states do not explicitly state this mandate in their constitutions or laws.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of constitutions

Noun

Despite a one-time $75 billion infusion from Congress, ICE remains heavily dependent on local police to find people subject to deportation and turn them over.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Over the past four weeks, London’s Southwark Crown Court was told that the 2023 reporting was the catalyst for six women making police complaints against Brand, four of which resulted in convictions on Thursday.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of police

Noun

In Arizona, voters passed a measure banning the state from installing and using photo enforcement systems (like speed and red-light cameras) to catch people who violate certain traffic ordinances.

— Rachel Treisman, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
Instead, temples are sacred places reserved for special ordinances.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of ordinances

Noun

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
However, statutes sometimes allow courts to shift fees to the losing party.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of statutes

Noun

Claude can also flag unusual transactions, duplicate charges, unexpected fees and bills that have gradually increased.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Democrats won legislative trifectas big enough to pass progressive bills that had gathered dust and lint under Republican control.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 6 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 11 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of laws

noun

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