RULE (ON) Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

rule (on)

verb

Definition of rule (on)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule (on)

Verb

Instead of dwelling on the crime, the owners decided to respond with humor, posting the video on Instagram with a mock 0-star review for the burglary crew.

— Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Florida’s August primary election is here, offering voters the opportunity to cast ballots in contests that will set up November clashes for governor, Congress and the state Legislature, and decide local races and referenda in counties and cities.

— Miami Herald Staff, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Definition of decide

Verb

The sluggish start mirrored Wednesday’s defeat, leaving Bay FC once again chasing the game before many fans had settled into their seats.

— Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026
Named for nebbia, the Italian word for the heavy layer of fog that settles over the vineyards around harvest time in early autumn, Nebbiolo has been cultivated in Piedmont for more than 750 years.

— Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of settle

Verb

The same family — Rita’s children and her grandchildren — had been judged differently.

— Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
The land is flat, and still covered with snow, whilst the air is filled with a haze that diffuses the light and makes distances hard to judge.

— Ash Bhardwaj, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of judge

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.

Browse Nearby Words

ruled out

rule (on)

rule out

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“Rule (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule%20%28on%29. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rule (on)

verb

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