laws

noun

plural of law
1
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
2
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

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3
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 Last week, prediction markets received a favorable court ruling in Illinois that halted the state from implementing its gambling laws on Kalshi and Coinbase event contracts. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026 No amount of training can erase the fear created by vague laws backed by severe penalties. — Dara Kass, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 There is no standardization and states have their own laws governing the cameras. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026 But by 2010, Mexican immigration had fallen to net zero; most people arriving at the southern border came from Central America and beyond, and Mexico became an essential partner in helping the United States enforce its immigration laws. — Robert B. Zoellick, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026 Under the new guidance, ATF will no longer require registration unless the buyer lives in one of about 15 states that have state laws requiring that people go through the federal permitting process. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 But public officials might get pushback from an AI-anxious public for relying so heavily on technology to enforce laws. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Even before Prohibition, Lake County communities were passing laws addressing community concerns about alcohol. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Check your state records separately State disclosure laws vary significantly. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laws
  1. acts
  2. constitutions
  3. police
  4. ordinances
  5. codes
  6. statutes
  7. bills
  8. amendments
Noun
  • At least 24 schools were hit by acts of vandalism or arson, Education Minister Édouard Geffray said over the weekend.
    — Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The group said the channel no longer draws from the wider pool of 800-plus comedians and instead rotates a narrower roster of comics each month, with more than 75 percent of plays going to the top 50 artists and bigger celebrity acts.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of acts
Noun
  • First Amendment experts say the dress policy draft’s language is too vague, and application of the rules for religious head coverings could run afoul of both the federal and state constitutions.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Setting up a new country During the Revolutionary War’s six years of fighting, individual states wrote their own constitutions, which set up how their governments would work.
    — Sandra Slater, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of constitutions
Noun
  • Choudri also made headlines earlier this year after the authority put him on leave after police arrested him at his Folsom home following a fight between his daughter and fiancée.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The movement has fueled similar student protests in Belgium, which on Friday were amplified by a national strike during which scuffles broke out between protesters and police in Brussels.
    — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of police
Noun
  • Furr, who leaves office in November, joined Commissioner Nan Rich in voting against both ordinances.
    — Zoey Thomas, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Mother nature intended these to work together, but ordinances et al treat them as independent.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ordinances
Noun
  • Bump codes can help identify complex patients and ensure hospitals are paid more for caring for them.
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Medical bills are often impenetrable documents littered with complex codes and terminology, and sorting through charges and details about insurance coverage can feel intimidating, if not downright paralyzing.
    — Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of codes
Noun
  • Some defendants face additional allegations involving false claims of citizenship or fraudulent statements that rest on separate federal statutes.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • In a complaint, multiple plaintiffs alleged user data from CVS digital properties was sold to advertising technology company Criteo in violation of the Federal Wiretap Act, the California Invasion of Privacy Act and other statutes.
    — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of statutes
Noun
  • Final accounting for 2025-26 revenue sharing is still to be completed, but big market clubs are on the hook for bigger bills after seven teams ducked under the luxury tax threshold ahead of the trade deadline.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • More bills in the G-string, like winning, like a casino, chance but something deeper, more contrived.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bills
Noun
  • At its meeting in September, the zoning commission approved amendments to Panther Island zoning codes that reflect the new Panther Island plan unveiled in 2024.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The amendments outline shifts in whistleblower award processing and regulatory reporting requirements.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of amendments

Browse Nearby Words

lawns
laws
lawsuit
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Cite this Entry

“Laws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laws. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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