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
-
However, the laws can’t go into effect until the federal government enacts similar legislation, and both the 2025 versions of the bill fizzled out in a congressional committee.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025 -
Commissioners’ closest vote involved the portion of the budget legislation that enacts a less than 1% increase in household trash fees.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Another person declares that Swift must have been swapped out for an AI dupe, because her music was never this vapid before.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The rules have shifted some since they were set out in late 1998, but if a player declares their intention to leave NPB, then MLB teams have a 45-day window to negotiate.—
Jared Bahir Browsh,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The dress code also specifies the type of shoes to be worn and forbids facial tattoos or more than one facial piercing.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Each recipe is indicated by a code—O means the Four Roses distillery; B or E indicates the mashbill (B is 35 percent rye, E is 20 percent rye); S means straight whiskey; and the last letter specifies the yeast strain, each of which brings a different flavor profile to the whiskey.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In a street vacation, the city relinquishes the right of way or public service easement to an adjacent property owner or owners.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The shutdown will end when Congress passes and Trump signs an appropriations bill to fund the federal departments and agencies currently shut down.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
This would happen when the light of distant stars passes through the elusive matter.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Saab asserts that a handful of CDMS batteries could secure hundreds of kilometers of coastline, giving nations a credible maritime strike capability for a fraction of the cost of a surface combatant.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Magee asserts that a judicial settlement conference would be more productive.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That sensory and emotional consistency is what defines a truly strong brand.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Colorado law defines stalking, in part, as when a person knowingly and repeatedly follows, approaches, contacts or communicates with another person in a way that causes that person serious emotional distress.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jadeite, a milky glass material, has an ethereal quality that renders anything being served on that much more special.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Concerns that safe storage renders guns insufficiently accessible during emergencies is valid, experts told CNN in a 2021 report.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share