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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His family told Deadline that Moss died September 15 in Saratoga Springs, NY, but did not specify a cause.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
18 Sep. 2025
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The museum statement didn’t specify further details, citing confidentiality amid an ongoing investigation.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
18 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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Congress then has 45 days to pass a bill to approve the president’s request.—
Kevin R. Kosar,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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That deal was struck in lieu of a retaliatory capital tax on foreign investors that was passed in the House version of the bill but was later removed by the Senate.—
Tobias Burns,
The Hill,
18 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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My vision is not only to make products but to create, co-own and empower a portfolio of category-defining beauty wellness successes.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
19 Sep. 2025
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Many define empathy differently or fail to define it at all; others fail to use control groups, do not report effect sizes, or contain other errors and omissions that make the studies difficult to compare.—
Rachel Pearson,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Medieval Europe, an era that gave us heraldry, court jesters, and troubadours, is rendered in dull, grayish brown hues.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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Now that the mandate has been expanded to Nvidia's RTX Pro 6000D chip, rendering the company unable to sell any products to Chinese customers, according to a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
18 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 21 Sep. 2025.
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