1
as in regulation
a statement spelling out the proper procedure or conduct for an activity
read the rules that are posted before you use the pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in government
lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation)
the years during which Russia was under Communist rule
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tradition
an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing
one of the sacred rules of that ancient society was respect for the elderly
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to govern
to exercise authority or power over
a sea captain who ruled his ship sternly but justly
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to control
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
a monarch who is known for ruling her emotions with an iron hand
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rule
Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Our project, after the rule and collapse of the Hamas-ISIS government, is to secure the people and move them through the transitional phase … to civilian institutions that govern in a way that pleases God, far from their personal interests.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
He was officially ruled questionable, but is expected to play.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule
Noun
Court records state that on June 4, 2024, X suspended Plummer’s original account for violating its rules against violent speech.
—Wren Smetana, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Our project, after the rule and collapse of the Hamas-ISIS government, is to secure the people and move them through the transitional phase … to civilian institutions that govern in a way that pleases God, far from their personal interests.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Eventually, it was ruled that Rozeboom solely forced the loose ball.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
He was officially ruled questionable, but is expected to play.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule
Noun
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But regulation was meant to bring normalcy and order to what was once considered an illicit, though widespread, activity.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
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Paying close attention to how each pillow affected their sleep, any improvements in neck pain, restlessness, and temperature regulation, to determine which pillows made the grade as the most luxurious options out there, both in sleep feel and in material makeup.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Besides government offices, many areas had been severely damaged by disrepair, and fires – easy to occur since most buildings were wooden structures.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Darbin Wofford, deputy director of health care for the centrist Democratic group Third Way, said even if there’s an agreement that reopens the government without a subsidy extension, Republicans already own the consequences.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Earlier this month, Bush told PEOPLE that Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his wife, actress Hailee Steinfeld, have previously put on the party, but work commitments prevented Steinfeld from continuing the tradition.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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According to a 2015 Time Magazine story, the tradition of benign pranks began sometime in the 1930s and 1940s in the United States, brought on perhaps as a way to defuse the tensions of economic devastation and the pain of war.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tulane University said moving research animals is routine but governed by strict confidentiality agreements to protect the animals’ safety and the parties’ proprietary information.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Yet something invisible governed their images.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For chemical control use a 3-way herbicide containing 2, 4-D as the main active ingredient to control broadleaf weeds like clover, henbit, and chickweed.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Gently touch your back foot onto the box and reverse the movement back toward the ground, keeping the movement slow and controlled.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Under state law, countywide petitions must be signed by 15% of those who voted for the office of circuit clerk in the most recent general election.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
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Detroit Mercy Law to review shipwreck's legal impact The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law will host a special law review symposium on the Fitzgerald shipwreck's 50th anniversary addressing the legal aspect of fatal shipwrecks.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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However, top officials rallied against the idea, the Journal reported, citing anonymous current and former administration officials familiar with the matter.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
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The group’s Managing Co-Chair Gina McCarthy served in both the Biden and Obama administrations.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Like several of her colleagues, Strickland submitted anonymous complaints to the Department of Agriculture, which regulates facilities and labs under the Animal Welfare Act.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Some dissenting judges on the court, though, said the 1977 law allows the president to regulate imports during emergencies without specific limitations.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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