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

Last week, Carpenter told board members that enacting an 18-month moratorium could potentially lead to a lawsuit against the city.

— Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 4 Aug. 2026
Dog Days lends itself to exactly this kind of paranoid reading, not only describing but enacting the magical thinking of trauma survivors.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

Definition of enacting

Verb

Path two runs through Congress, where Senators Schiff and Curtis have a bill declaring the quiet part, the Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act, and the AGA is lobbying for exactly that.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Rokita said in a statement that nothing in Indiana’s emergency powers statutes prevent the governor from declaring separate emergencies based on different factors.

— Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of declaring

Verb

Some requirements include specifying that data centers larger than 10,000 square feet are allowed on industrial property by right, or on commercial property with a specific use permit.

— Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026
But officials have since updated the death toll to three without specifying which was the latest victim.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of specifying

Verb

America is the ultimate answer to the pogrom, and to the emancipation Europe offered on the condition of relinquishing Jewish ethnic and cultural distinctiveness.

— Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Giudice survived prison, divorce and years of family warfare without relinquishing her place at the center of New Jersey.

— Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of relinquishing

Verb

Their responsibilities include passing bills, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes and voting to uphold or override vetoes.

— The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Sheindlin is officially passing the gavel to her son, Judge Adam Levy, in Adam’s Law.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of passing

Verb

There’s another comparison between Homer and the Bible that demonstrates parallels between Jesus and Odysseus while asserting Jesus’ superiority,MacDonald says.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Anthropic’s guardrail was a sentence in a prompt asserting the internet was not there.

— Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

The haunting synth track became the defining musical signature of Nicolas Winding Refn‘s 2011 neo-noir, helping establish both the movie’s dreamlike atmosphere and Kavinsky’s international profile.

— HollywoodReporter, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
The tragedy of three years ago remains a defining part of daily life, and many residents are still navigating the long arc of recovery, yet the island also depends on tourism to rebuild its economy and support local families.

— David Dickstein, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of defining

Verb

Apart from polluting ecosystems and leaving toxic residues on human food sources, these aggressive chemicals drive pests to develop genetic resistance, rendering treatments ineffective over time.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
The company's clashes with unions date back years, with battles over employment status, arbitration proceedings, working conditions, and more rendering it a marquee villain in the eyes of labor advocates.

— Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 1 Aug. 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of laying down

verb

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