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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
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
-
The plan specifies more than 100 actions for the city to take to reach its goal of zero traffic deaths by 2037 – 15 years after Vision Zero's 2022 start in Milwaukee.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
About 20 percent of the world’s oil supply normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
-
One major piece of leverage Iran maintains is its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which around 20% of the world's oil supply passes through.—
Ford McCracken,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
The film, based on a true story that became a media sensation in the '80s, never renders a definitive judgment on von Bülow (who was acquitted in court), leaving him an indelible enigma that Irons teases but never tells.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
An unnoticed protrusion on the floor she’s dragged across renders her injury considerably worse, turning temporary acute discomfort into a real medical emergency.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Lays down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20down. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
