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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule (on)
Verb
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Seeing a gap and filling the need, when the Boston Marathon was canceled for the first time in its history, PRC decided to host their own marathon.—
Courtney Cole,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026 -
The college’s leaders intentionally decided not to open a dining hall, so that the students would learn to cook and host others in their home.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The group also may simulate visits during these evaluations, to determine how the dogs and handlers deal with certain situations.—
Mikayla Bunnell,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
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Only the first four picks of the draft are determined by the lottery drawing, with the rest of the first round determined by inverse order of record.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yet Musk may settle for more modest accomplishments in the chip industry, given the extreme costs and complexity.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Still, the paranoia has settled in.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The script throws a lot of ideas out there and, refreshingly, none of them is to be taken as dogma, especially not Julian’s comment about who has the right to judge art.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
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And by his fruit he should be judged.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 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 Apr. 2026.
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