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
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Jackson is aghast when Wahlberg shows up fat and scraggly for filming, ultimately firing him and hiring Ryan Gosling, who secretly thinks Wahlberg had the right idea but decides to keep his mouth shut.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026 -
The desirable outcome is that a jury, which decides questions of fact, decides that social media is addictive and it was designed to maximize engagement.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a landscape where speed to value often determines competitive advantage, that acceleration can be decisive.—
Ruba Borno,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
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If there is an increase from year to year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W, that determines the percentage of the COLA.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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When smearing peanut butter on bread, the robot watches the knife deflect down and crush the bread and judges forces from that.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
2 Mar. 2026
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But Herzog never judges or condescends to Treadwell, even if his involvement in documenting the fallout becomes increasingly complicated.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the spotlight settles on each of them, that person unspools a monologue, a candid account of their origins, their desires and dreams, their galaxy of excuses and explanations.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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With millions of people along its coastline and countless vessels crossing its waters, the Mediterranean receives an enormous and constant flow of waste — much of which eventually settles into its deepest recesses.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
10 Mar. 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 14 Mar. 2026.
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