as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
the coach ruled on the question of whether an off-campus bar fight ought to disqualify someone from the team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule (on)
Verb
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Monitoring high-level athletes for drug misuse is nothing new, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) surprised many people recently by deciding to track the use of GLP-1 drugs, such as the diabetes and obesity treatments Ozempic (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide).—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
13 Feb. 2026 -
Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.—
Staff Reports,
The Providence Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The committee uses 12 criteria to determine who belongs in the field and where teams should be seeded.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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At the door, formidable bouncers determine your fate.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Trojans eventually settled in on offense, but their stifling defense would have to lead the way throughout.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The former duchess reportedly owed Johnny O’Sullivan a little under £100,000, which Epstein helped her settle after her bankruptcy in 2010.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Transfers have been cancelled if, as Foster says, a player’s character is judged not to be a good fit.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The company has refused to provide financial records sought by California actuaries attempting to judge the merit of its pending rate hike, including plans to drop another 11,000 policies, according to public rate filing records obtained by The Times.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Rule (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule%20%28on%29. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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