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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay down
Use this energy to reclaim your space, tend to your inner child, and lay down new roots that are built on integrity, not illusion.
—
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 21 Sep. 2025
Witnessing the Gallaghers lay down their arms to deliver one of rock music’s most triumphant comeback stories has made Shultz reflect on sharing his band — and life — with his brother, Brad.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Release the hostages and lay down your weapons—or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be annihilated.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Now the Colts, who haven’t won a season opener since 2013, won’t just see those numbers and lay down.
—Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 21 Sep. 2025
Witnessing the Gallaghers lay down their arms to deliver one of rock music’s most triumphant comeback stories has made Shultz reflect on sharing his band — and life — with his brother, Brad.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Release the hostages and lay down your weapons—or Gaza will be destroyed, and you will be annihilated.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Now the Colts, who haven’t won a season opener since 2013, won’t just see those numbers and lay down.
—Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
Verb
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The city has enacted a more aggressive policy stance to limit the impacts of tent and vehicle encampments — panned as draconian by some advocates — in conjunction with its heavy investment in interim housing solutions.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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In a dressing room, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end concentrates while practicing carrying his then-girlfriend during the Tortured Poets Department section of the three-hour show, with the scene cutting to the couple re-enacting it in full costume on stage.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was declared deceased after being taken to a local hospital, per the outlets.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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In 1993 it was declared a historic landmark by the City and County of Denver’s Preservation Commission, which has helped anchor it to Grant Street even as other historic buildings have fallen around it, some replaced with apartment high-rises.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Spotify’s blog post didn’t specify whether the development would be opt-in or opt-out to determine training permissions.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
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The law did not specify whether the hanging should be public or private.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.—
Matthew Redmond,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The park’s quiet debut brings to fruition what was envisioned in October 2021, when the city of San Diego relinquished its rights to lease the block from IQHQ and instead entered into a contractual arrangement with the company for a 96-year term.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The quarterback play simply isn’t good enough to out-score opponents, or even force them into pass-heavy play scripts.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Game 3’s mid-afternoon start time suited TV but made things even more difficult for hitters as shadows passed in front of the plate, eventually to the outfield.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pritzker has been trying to debunk claims that Chicago is an out-of-control hellhole; to assert in court that the federal government has no right to send in federal troops; and to discredit the tactics by immigration agents to arrest migrants in his state’s streets and businesses.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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Scholar Mary Jane Edwards is one who asserts the book’s primacy.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their rugged endurance is what endears Jeeps to car-lovers with a sense of history and who appreciate the significance of a vehicle that defined an indefatigable generation.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
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Lyra’s existence pushes back against the moral absolutes and gendered expectations that define her world and seek to limit her agency.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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False or deceptive votes and/or acts will render the respective Finalist ineligible.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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If enough satellites are in orbit, this debris could set off a chain reaction, rendering the environment around Earth practically impassable.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2025.
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