1
as in enacts
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 declares
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 specifies
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 relinquishes
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays down
Verb
-
Waymo doesn’t plan to launch its service in Minnesota until the state enacts new laws to set up basic regulations.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
9 Mar. 2026 -
However, the laws can’t go into effect until the federal government enacts similar legislation, and the 2023 version of the bill fizzled out in a congressional committee.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The National Park Service declares peak bloom when 70 percent of the blossoms around the Tidal Basin, the reservoir on the National Mall, have opened.—
Kendall Staton,
Washington Post,
5 Mar. 2026
-
To the victor also goes the pen that declares the broad-stroke version of what has happened.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And the amendment specifies that the bill would only apply to convictions that occur beginning July 1, 2026.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The constitution of the British Indian Ocean Territory specifies that no one has a right of abode on the islands.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Could this be the anarchic mind that emerges when the ego relinquishes its hold?—
Michael Pollan,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
-
If a player chooses not to negotiate with the Panthers, that player will be unable to sign elsewhere, unless Carolina relinquishes his rights by not offering him a tender.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The train passes through several pristine natural environments, including the Hudson River, the Adirondack foothills, and Lake Champlain.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But then — for a price — Disney offers various ‘lightning lane’ passes that allow folks to have access to a shorter line or otherwise skip the line with a reservation time.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The standard narrative asserts that the correlation between the oil price surges and observed increases in inflation was causally linked.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
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The government asserts that decisions on security clearances are up to the president, and federal agencies are allowed to review companies' employment practices.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Across all nine episodes, Malone’s soundtrack threads together the romance, friction, and tragedy that defines the story of one of the 1990s’ most talked-about couples.—
Riann Phillip,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
-
That foundation becomes the constraint that defines what can be scaled and what cannot.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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First, Maxon's Cinebench 2024 renders a complex scene using the company's Cinema 4D engine.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
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Hong renders these universal conflicts locally specific and intimately personal.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lays down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20down. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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