as in decides
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 rules (on)
Verb
-
Now, technology decides everything.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026 -
Deborah decides to pursue treatment after all, if only to buy enough time to work a little more.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The high-risk events identified in NPR's analysis include multiple high-profile matches, such as the game that determines which team takes home third place in the World Cup, and the World Cup final.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
4 June 2026
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Triage — the systematic process of prioritizing patients by the severity of their condition — determines the length of the delay.—
Iyesatta Massaquoi Emeli,
STAT,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The truck just leans into the work and gets on with life like a ranch foreman who drinks coffee black and silently judges your hitch setup.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 May 2026
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Portnoy travels to cities around the world and judges their pizza scene by taking a single bite (or more) of a cheese pizza and giving it a review.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
See how things look after the dust settles.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
-
From up here, San Sebastián gleams to the east, the sea stretches endlessly forward, and silence settles like an ancient cloak.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Rules (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rules%20%28on%29. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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