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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of laws
Meanwhile, the rollout of India’s new four labor codes, intended to replace a patchwork of older laws, formally began on April 1, though implementation depends on individual states finalizing their own rules.
—
Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026
Tybee Island has an open container ordinance, so drinks can be taken out onto the beach in to-go cups, but public intoxication laws will also be enforced.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
The slowdown comes as USCIS has taken a tougher approach toward policing immigration laws in the last year.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 17 Apr. 2026
Learn the traffic laws and obey them.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
The California Department of Cannabis Control offers online resources to help both consumers and businesses understand cannabis laws in California.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The event helped lead to the passage of landmark national environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Endangered Species Act.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
After securing a judgment, debt collectors may be able to pursue wage garnishment or bank account levies, depending on state laws and the type of debt.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
This drop is partly the result of many smoking laws enacted in the past 50 years.
—Marie Helweg-Larsen, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026
Tybee Island has an open container ordinance, so drinks can be taken out onto the beach in to-go cups, but public intoxication laws will also be enforced.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
The slowdown comes as USCIS has taken a tougher approach toward policing immigration laws in the last year.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 17 Apr. 2026
Learn the traffic laws and obey them.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
The California Department of Cannabis Control offers online resources to help both consumers and businesses understand cannabis laws in California.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2026
The event helped lead to the passage of landmark national environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Endangered Species Act.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
After securing a judgment, debt collectors may be able to pursue wage garnishment or bank account levies, depending on state laws and the type of debt.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
This drop is partly the result of many smoking laws enacted in the past 50 years.
—Marie Helweg-Larsen, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laws
Noun
-
And yet this series of antisemitic criminal acts has also strengthened the resolve of some of those affected.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said the 21-year-old D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, was charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a body.—
Andrew Dalton,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Homeowner preferences hard-coded into state constitutions decades ago now further sustain the gerontocracy.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Leaders of several former Soviet republics, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, have previously used new or amended constitutions to revise statutory term limits.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Thomas then claimed police later told her that Kierra may have been dating another man.—
Aya Al-Hakim,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
He was taken into custody and transported to Norwalk police headquarters, where he was charged with two counts of criminal attempt at assault on a police officer, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and first-degree threatening.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yet sentiments like Brock’s are being repeated across California and the US, where hostility to battery farms has scuttled projects as residents and local officials sue to overturn government approvals or enact ordinances to ban the facilities or restrict where they can be built.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Textbooks, flags, legal ordinances, school and street names, grave markers, popular songs, the names of trees—all of these gave oxygen to a lie.—
Horace D. Ballard,
Artforum,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The company develops distinctive film and television projects that bridge Japan and the United States — a mission reflected in its name, which combines the countries’ calling codes (+1 and +81).—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
-
While specific safety requirements for the 145-foot ship were not known, federal and international codes call for cargo ships to have life rafts stocked with food and water.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Certain statutes explicitly appeal to what’s reasonable—exasperating those who find the standard hopelessly indeterminate.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Defendants face charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and conspiracy statutes and are accused of intimidating worshippers and disrupting religious services.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Assault victims in Virginia may seek a civil resolution to their criminal case through accord and satisfaction, an agreement for an amount owed in damages, such as money to cover the cost of medical bills or property repairs.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
-
New York has taken a different approach, and ordinary New Yorkers are paying the price every month through their utility bills.—
Nicole Malliotakis,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That budget reconciliation resolution introduced Tuesday did not give instructions to tax-writing committees in the House or Senate, but Kustoff said there is a possibility for amendments to the bill before passage.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
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The Charter Review Committee has historically convened to seek resident input and give recommendations on which proposed amendments to the city’s charter — the document that governs the city — should be put in front of voters.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laws. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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