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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay down
The next morning, Delta Bluegrass arrived at Oracle Park and laid down fresh sod from approximately 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Once the sod was down, the Giants’ grounds crew spent the next three days diligently working to get the field back to playing quality.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2025
Salazar capitalized, laying down a bunt single that Freeland threw into right field for an error, allowing Dubon to score.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Aug. 2025
Mother and daughter butted heads, especially when Trina Frierson started laying down house rules, and Kenishea Frierson, used to setting her own rules, pushed back hard.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Shortly after her birth in October 2019, Georgia posted a picture of the then-newborn laying down with her head turned toward the TV — which had none other than Doctor Who playing on it.
—Audrey Schmidt, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2025
Salazar capitalized, laying down a bunt single that Freeland threw into right field for an error, allowing Dubon to score.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Aug. 2025
Mother and daughter butted heads, especially when Trina Frierson started laying down house rules, and Kenishea Frierson, used to setting her own rules, pushed back hard.
—Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Shortly after her birth in October 2019, Georgia posted a picture of the then-newborn laying down with her head turned toward the TV — which had none other than Doctor Who playing on it.
—Audrey Schmidt, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
Verb
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To bridge the gap, a handful of states have enacted orders expanding and protecting access, issuing blanket prescriptions, executive orders and insurance coverage requirements.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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Treasury yields edged lower Monday, extending recent declines, after the Empire State Manufacturing Index came in far below what Wall Street economists had expected and traders looked ahead to the Federal Reserve enacting an interest rate cut later this week.—
Pia Singh,Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Last week, Reuters reported that Pulte’s own father and stepmother had declared two homes in two different states as their primary residence, prompting a town in Michigan to remove a tax exemption for their home there and charge the couple for back taxes.—
Chris Prentice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The highest levels of malnutrition since the war began were reported this summer, and its largest city has been officially declared under famine by a panel of food-security experts.—
Pablo Robles,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Google hasn’t specified if there will be an eventual end date.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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The 49ers have not specified what exatly happened to these body parts.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Keeping the agreement with Norris in mind, McLaren intervened in the situation by asking Piastri to relinquish second place to Norris.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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In May 2025, Kraft Heinz announced a strategic review aimed at unlocking shareholder value, and Berkshire Hathaway relinquished its board seats, signaling potential structural changes.—
Joe Cornell,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Army soldiers, even those in non-combat jobs or those who lack previous firearms experience, must pass a rifle marksmanship test that includes targets as far as 325 yards away after mere days of training.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Two games in, though, the Packers have passed both tests with flying colors.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Children want to change, as Adam Phillips asserts, but adults want to stay the same.—
Rachel Kushner,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
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Limit your interaction with them when possible and assert your boundaries firmly.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Among them were countless era-defining releases that are still among the best movies ever made—of any genre—from the haunting Rebecca to the gripping Rear Window, and the ravishing Vertigo to the hair-raising Psycho.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
13 Sep. 2025
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Internally, the current workspace contained not only the visible text documents but also any custom words the user added to the dictionary and any additional tForth words defined in memory.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This deepening also has an index in the formal features of his poetry—the ambiguity of his pronouns, the firm particularity of his register of images—which teeters between the mundane and the epiphanic, and renders this imbalance itself into view.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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When workers are used as invisible inputs in opaque AI systems that determine hiring, promotions and surveillance protocols, their autonomy can be eroded—and traditional labor rights rendered toothless.—
James Felton Keith,
Forbes.com,
11 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 17 Sep. 2025.
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