LAYING DOWN Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

laying down

verb

present participle of lay down

as in enacting

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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as in declaring

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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as in specifying

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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as in relinquishing

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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying down

Verb

In our moment of reckoning, most of the current momentum is going toward enacting social media bans for kids younger than 16.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Let them — especially the new governor, presumably Xavier Becerra — consider enacting new CEQA reforms, holding months of public hearings and ultimately compromising on a deal.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of enacting

Verb

If Taipei refrains from crossing the ultimate red line of declaring formal independence, Beijing appears confident in its long-term strategy of integration.

— Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Citizenship revoked retroactively The October judgment goes beyond simply declaring that Acosta Torres is no longer an American citizen.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of declaring

Verb

An investigation is underway, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said, without specifying whether the attacks caused any damage or casualties.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
In September, her campaign criticized Tafoya’s sports stance without specifying how Flanagan would vote on federal restrictions.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of specifying

Verb

With all the characters in the show, there’s an exploration of losing control, taking control and relinquishing control, and Chris experiences all of those.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
One panel was falling, then smashing on the path, lead relinquishing its long grip on the glass.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of relinquishing

Verb

Not only is the rush defense slightly worse than the passing defense, but if the running game is going, the clock is running, and that leaves less time for Purdy to operate on offense.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The result will be a noticeably more autumnal day than any of late, with passing clouds and a crisp breeze.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of passing

Verb

Moriarty's office said rejection killings are a form of femicide in which women are targeted for asserting autonomy over their bodies.

— Jason Rantala, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Trump is accustomed to asserting the primacy of force over law and clearly anticipates no punishment for doing so in front of a body dedicated to saving humanity from the scourge of war.

— Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

Yet as black became a defining color of modern fashion, most famously through Gabrielle Chanel’s little black dress of 1926, its association with mourning gradually loosened.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
In From Day One As countries build generation-defining infrastructure—road and rail tunnels, smart stadiums and hospital precincts—connectivity is too often bolted on late in construction.

— Stephen Farrugia, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of defining

Verb

First responders arrived on site to find community members rendering medical aid to those who were injured, Moses said.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Path tracing is an advanced form of ray tracing that's among the most demanding graphics-rendering techniques today, often requiring upscaling and frame generation to achieve a playable frame rate.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of rendering

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.

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laying by

laying down

laying eyes on

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“Laying down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20down. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of laying down

verb

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