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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But my initial obsession had lacked characters who might also enact their own shift.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
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The organization states that 30,000 residents of Amsterdam have already signed a petition in favor of enacting concrete plans and policies to limit mass tourism.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The annual total of measles cases in the US – now up to 1,563 cases since January – is the highest by a significant margin since measles was declared eliminated in America a quarter-century ago.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
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The Cincinnati Fire Department declared the man dead at the scene, the release says.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump did not specify why certain federal workers would not qualify to receive back pay owed to them.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
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The Russian vessels are expected to make several port calls in foreign countries, which the Pacific Fleet did not specify, and conduct other exercises during the deployment.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Liberation lies in relinquishing projection, in surrendering the desire for children to mirror our priorities and accomplishments.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
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For decades after that, most parents who relinquished infants for adoption did not expect to see or hear from those children again.—
Nicole Chung,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By contrast, roughly the same share of homeless students passed the tests compared with students who were not homeless.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
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Congress has not passed a budget yet, and the government is shut down.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What those 15,000 or so fair-weather fans missed was the Broncos (4-2, 2-0) asserting themselves in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 41-25 Mountain West win over the Lobos (3-3, 0-2), who for much of the night were like a gnat the home team couldn’t swat away.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Oct. 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.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If the peace holds, the region could enter a new era defined less by conflict than by the possibility of transformation, including the rebuilding of a post-Hamas Gaza and the normalization of Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
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That same headbanging energy has defined her steady, albeit unconventional, political rise.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Officers found a man next to the store and rendered aid until emergency personnel arrived and pronounced him dead at the scene, Becchina said.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
10 Oct. 2025
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Zelig’s technology renders garments on avatars and shows fabric textures and how the fabrics drape, fold and bunch on models of different heights, sizes and proportions, using thousands of proprietary data points.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
9 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 13 Oct. 2025.
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