1
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals
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2
as in to declare
to state clearly and strongly
at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments
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3
as in to specify
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment
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4
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay down
Plan to lay down the mechanisms for scalable ZSP: IdP integration, policy-as-code and JIT token issuance through cloud-native APIs, plus human-in-the-loop approvals for high-risk actions.
—
Artyom Poghosyan, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025
That said, the streamer laid down $20 million for U.S. and partial offshore rights to Richard Linklater’s Hit Man and $11M for Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour at TIFF 2023.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
In February, the female patient was found naked laying down on the floor of the male patient’s bathroom, according to the report.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
Alexander pulled out a baby-blue melodica to lay down a filthy ska rhythm for his band.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Artyom Poghosyan, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025
That said, the streamer laid down $20 million for U.S. and partial offshore rights to Richard Linklater’s Hit Man and $11M for Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour at TIFF 2023.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
In February, the female patient was found naked laying down on the floor of the male patient’s bathroom, according to the report.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
Alexander pulled out a baby-blue melodica to lay down a filthy ska rhythm for his band.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
Verb
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Trump has been able to enact his agenda because the GOP controls the White House and both chambers of Congress.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Sep. 2025
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Since 1987, the state has enacted housing preservation laws, with a notable expansion in 2017, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After the disappointing finish to his team's season, Alonso declared his intent to opt out of the second year of his contract and re-enter free agency from the Marlins' visiting clubhouse.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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Sunday morning, and airport division officers declared the stowaway dead on scene, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.—
Ayesha Ali,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Evidence found at the scene showed Lopez had fired multiple gunshots, but officials didn’t specify his motive, deputies said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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This system requires companies to specify which main drug patent to extend after marketing authorization and before patent expiration.—
Lucy Xiaolu Wang,
The Conversation,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the latest demands of Intel, the government willingly relinquished the ability to exert control, despite being the largest holder of Intel’s shares.—
Andrew King,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
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At first glance, Beijing’s willingness to play ball on TikTok looks like a sharp reversal from its years of resistance to relinquishing control over the viral video app – the first global social media hit to come out of China.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Julia, Lisa, and Kiki all pull the short straw and go to Alexia and Frankie’s Beauty Bar for free manicures, half-stale prosecco, and warm sushi passed around by waitstaff that aren’t even hot.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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The Tattooist Act passed convincingly on Thursday afternoon with 195 votes in favor out of 202 members present, enabling non-medical professionals to obtain a license.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a Fox Business interview, Carr mentioned that the FTC is contemplating broadening its click-to-cancel rulemaking, asserting his disagreement with the previous administration’s approach to establishing the rule.—
Jordan Green,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Sep. 2025
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To review or object to instances where our partners assert a legitimate interest in utilizing your data, please visit our vendors page.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Great Recession stands as the generation’s defining economic event.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Saudis studying abroad lose the subtleties of the language and miss out on the culture, memes, and everything else that defines this generation.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In early January 2025, the Bureau of Land Management website explained the communities are in an area that climate change is rendering uninhabitable, mentioning climate eight times.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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Miu Miu leaned into tradition, rendering argyle in a restrained palette that nodded to its country club roots.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20down. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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