RULES (ON) Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

rules (on)

verb

present tense third-person singular of rule (on)

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for rules (on)

Verb

For a holiday park, a glamping site or a dealer, the wall system decides how much work the buildings will need after the first guests arrive.

— Rolanas Kutra, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
But the commodity is not what decides whether the law reaches you.

— Maria Brozman, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of decides

Verb

Paralympian Ezra Frech maintained his frontrunner status last week by earning the season’s first 10, but after that dam broke, judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, Derek Hough, and guest judge Kym Johnson began handing them out like hotcakes.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026
For an adolescent navigating friendships, rejection, identity and belonging, something that never judges them or gossips and is always available can be incredibly compelling.

— Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of judges

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.

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rules

rules (on)

rules out

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“Rules (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rules%20%28on%29. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of rules (on)

verb

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