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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rules (on)
Verb
-
But Colton has something else up his sleeve and decides to make a big swing before the roundtable, pulling Lisa aside in an attempt to ally with her.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026 -
The board decides things but doesn’t implement its decisions.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That means American users’ experience on the app is unlikely to change in a visible way, although the algorithm that determines what videos are served to their feeds could shift as the new ownership group takes control.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
For rural health CIOs, foundational technology determines the success of these programs.—
David Chou,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The winner was chosen by an independent panel, which each year judges the entries on artistic achievement.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Joining judges Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough this week is former dancing pro Kym Johnson.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On that list, Bryan settles behind Traveller by Chris Stapleton.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Whether or not this study settles the question of taxonomy, there’s much left to learn.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
21 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
“Rules (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rules%20%28on%29. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
