LAYS DOWN Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

lays down

verb

present tense third-person singular of lay down

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

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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

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as in specifies

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 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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Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays down

Verb

Federal law prohibits them from opting into daylight saving time year-round, though that hasn’t stopped 19 states from passing trigger laws to take effect if Congress enacts the necessary legislation.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
The legislation enacts new work requirements and greater vetting for Medicaid, the low-income program that thousands of Alaskans depend on for healthcare.

— Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of enacts

Verb

English as official language Idaho already has a state law that declares English our official language.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 28 Oct. 2026
The best time to buy depends on the product, the urgency and the shopper’s budget — not on when a retailer declares its biggest event.

— Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of declares

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

Definition of relinquishes

Verb

Superconducting coil passes tests The magnet cold test facility was developed to evaluate ITER’s superconducting magnets and their supporting infrastructure before installation in the tokamak.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
If the bond passes, Walsh said money in the district’s general fund can be used for teacher raises.

— Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of passes

Verb

Black asserts that the statements made by Garcia are false and that traveling to appear on national television to make such statements about the inquiry into Epstein’s crimes goes beyond the purview of a member of Congress.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
Those statements were false and were made maliciously, Black asserts through his lawyers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of asserts

Verb

For a softer effect, a liner that closely matches the lip itself defines the edges without creating a visible outline.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
MyLA311 defines these as public trash cans located in the public right-of-way, typically near street corners with red curbs or at bus stops.

— Hanna Kang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of defines

Verb

Even a modest homelab server should have no trouble running the Terminus package, which acts as an API point that takes in information, renders the designs, and sends them to your e-paper display.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
For early adopters, a useful experiment is comparing how the same photo renders across ChatGPT and Google Shopping to see which engine best fits a personal style discovery process.

— Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of renders

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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lays by

lays down

lays eyes on

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“Lays down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20down. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of lays down

verb

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