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
-
It’s been a year since Brown decided to skip college and turn his eyes onto the professional game.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026 -
With Antetokounmpo sidelined, the Bucks could decide to pivot into more of a youth movement and let losses organically begin to pile up.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The process to adopt a child from foster care includes training, interviews, and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you.—
MARE Staff,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The Blues challenged the goal for offside, but a video review determined that the Kings remained onside.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Brent crude futures settled above $70.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Russia's advance in Ukraine has largely settled into a grinding war of attrition, and analysts say that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in no rush to find a settlement, despite his army's difficulties on the roughly 600-mile front line.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Run by Whisky Magazine and judged by a panel of Canadian and international whisky experts, the awards are focused entirely on Canadian production.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In an area award, nominees are judged individually on their own merits.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
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
“Rule (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule%20%28on%29. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
