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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 lay down
As Lebanon reels from an ongoing cross-border conflict with Israel and years of economic meltdown, Hezbollah may also face pressure from its own constituency to lay down its arms, Woods said.
—
Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Listen up students, Professor Coogler is present for class and ready to lay down some knowledge.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025
Japan's sovereignty extends to the airspace over its territorial sea that measures 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from its coastline, says the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which lays down a regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
This explains Microsoft aggressively laying down an AI foundation with Copilot (and, by the way, investing heavily in data with offerings like Microsoft Fabric).
—Jason Andersen, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Listen up students, Professor Coogler is present for class and ready to lay down some knowledge.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025
Japan's sovereignty extends to the airspace over its territorial sea that measures 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from its coastline, says the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which lays down a regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
This explains Microsoft aggressively laying down an AI foundation with Copilot (and, by the way, investing heavily in data with offerings like Microsoft Fabric).
—Jason Andersen, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
Verb
-
The Florida Sheriff's Association announced in February that all county jails had signed agreements in compliance with a state law enacted in 2022.—
Julia Ingram,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Republicans are hoping to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, which caps how much money the Treasury Department can owe to pay the country’s bills, by up to $5 trillion this year as part of a larger package to extend expiring tax cuts enacted through Trump’s signature 2017 tax law.—
Aris Folley,
The Hill,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Trump declared members of crime gangs Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport them more swiftly.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
There's no sign of the outbreak slowing, and the nation's overall case count is on track to be the highest since the mid-1990s, before measles was declared eliminated in 2000.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In her account posted on Wednesday, April 9, the woman — who does not specify her own age — explained that a 17-year-old family member gave birth to her first baby the previous day.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
For the completists among you, here is the full list of June releases, though what order within the month is not specified.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Fittingly posted on a Wednesday (April 23), the two-minute preview opens with Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday making her way back to Nevermore Academy, a journey that involves the teenager reluctantly relinquishing her many weapons to TSA agents at an airport.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
23 Apr. 2025
-
But the Trump administration is now relinquishing its influence over the multilateral system, preferring instead to handle countries one by one, transaction by transaction.—
Ngaire Woods,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The issue became a flashpoint for the Justice Department in March, when Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer refused to add Gibson to a pilot program that had whittled a list of 95 non-violent offenders down to nine who had passed rigorous FBI background checks.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
That newer version, passed last year, still leaves significant stretches of Miami Beach’s Atlantic shoreline, including some of its most prominent hotels of the 1940s and 1950s, vulnerable to demolition without city interference.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Thirteen judges already fired since Trump started his second term filed a class appeal earlier this month, asserting that they had been wrongfully terminated.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Read has pleaded not guilty, denied killing O'Keefe and alleged she is being framed, attempting to sow reasonable doubt in prosecutors' claims and asserting that someone else killed O'Keefe and had ties to and influence over the investigation.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And what will define a successful correspondents' dinner for the Hilton?—
Major Garrett,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2025
-
So, how exactly do brands arrive at the perfect shade to define the year ahead?—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
All of that renders the actual heist more of a chore than an adventure, where more time is spent on the inner workings of a safe than taking advantage of Chekhov’s laser field.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The supreme court could render a decision on whether Bar remains in office, and for how long, based on technical issues.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 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 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share