RULES Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

rules 1 of 2

noun

plural of rule

as in regulations

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

as in governments

lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation) the years during which Russia was under Communist rule

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as in traditions

an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing one of the sacred rules of that ancient society was respect for the elderly

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rules

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rule

as in governs

to exercise authority or power over a sea captain who ruled his ship sternly but justly

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as in controls

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

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.

Recent Examples of rules

Noun

Where the power concentrates, in the White House, there is no desire to lay down stricter rules. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026 Here are four rules leaders should consider as reputation management enters this new era. — Evan Nierman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026 The Middle Garchs Some Main Street millionaires have also gotten rich in industries where government rules restrict competition, protect incumbents, and help keep profits high. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026 China’s technology sector also operates within a far more top-down regulatory environment, with the government setting extensive rules governing what AI systems can produce and how they are deployed. — John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 Even with new rules designed to clamp down on the physical grappling that has helped make inswinging deliveries so effective, teams are not turning to alternatives. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Three other three-judge panels on the 5th Circuit -- one in this case and two in an earlier one -- and two district courts have already agreed that rules for prescribing mifepristone are too loose. — Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026 The revolutionary idea that the ruled rather than the rulers decide the rules emerged only haltingly. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026 Under current rules, the Social Security payroll tax is capped at $184,500. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

If the court rules in their favor, Kushner’s project may have to be halted. — Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 Now, the federal court will hold off on further action until the appeals court rules on the case. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 14 Sep. 2026 The 49ers energetically dominated in a 27-7 victory while the Rams exhaustedly despaired in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a venue that hosts Australian rules football games that aren’t this ugly. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Georgia Supreme Court rules against the Department of Public Safety. — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Settlements of lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacy chains imposed not only billion-dollar fines but also rules governing future conduct. — Jonathan Caulkins, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026 Gulliver’s third voyage takes him to the flying island of Laputa, which rules tyrannically over several territories situated below. — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026 The state has conceded that the referendum will appear on the November ballot, meaning that Missourians will get a chance to vote on the map regardless of what the court rules. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026 The league that rules the media business, Madison Avenue and American culture has managed to turn once-obscure events like the combine in February, the draft in April and the schedule release in May into major events. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rules

Noun

Similarly, a citizen who violates technology export or import regulations could be banned from leaving if the action endangers industrial or technological security, the regulation says.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
But there is a blueprint in the formats used by Bellator and Strikeforce, and Chou said Ki’s team had experience getting the regulations approved in California.

— Oskar Garcia, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of regulations

Noun

But African governments should not mistake a ceasefire, or even the reopening of the strait, for a return to business as usual.

— Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
European governments are accustomed to footing the bill and having a say in where rockets are built, a procurement model known as geographical return, or geo-return.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of governments

Noun

This is his full-time home now, after years of living in Brooklyn and almost two decades and seven albums of chasing American sonic traditions.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026
The menu’s through line is the way Bonner filters a whole world of Afro-Caribbean traditions through his perspective as a journeyman chef.

— John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of traditions

Verb

Yet no such regulation governs the people in the stands at these matches — with Irish fans typically singing the folk song Fields of Athenry during the haka in response, while England supporters opt for their rugby anthem, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
The Senate's farm bill, an omnibus piece of legislation rolled out every five years that governs everything from rural development and crop insurance to nutrition programs, has languished in committee during McConnell’s absence.

— Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of governs

Verb

Before work begins, ask who owns those assets, who controls the accounts and what happens when the commercial relationship ends.

— Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
That’s partly thanks to US technology controls that limit Chinese companies’ access to advanced AI processors — essential for training increasingly complex AI models.

— John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of controls

Noun

As of March, 386 people had been arrested under the Beijing and Hong Kong national security laws, with 176 people and four companies convicted, Reuters reported, citing the local Security Bureau.

— Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
Albert Ramdin, secretary general of the Organization of American States, said while the hemispheric body cannot compel countries to keep undocumented migrants when their laws do not permit it, as in the case of the termination of TPS.

— Gérard Maxineau, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of laws

Noun

Bolstering the domestic manufacturing sector has been a priority across administrations (Joe Biden signed the bipartisan chips law in 2022).

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Immigrants with no criminal convictions, who under previous administrations would have been released on bond or not detained in the first place, would now be held while their immigration cases were pending.

— Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of administrations

Noun

The company’s twin values of work and quirk can sit uneasily in the distractible, self-serious fashion world, to the point that fashion at Hermès has historically been regarded as something of an oxymoron.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Throughout it all, Taylor has remained the same person, with the same values.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026