1
as in sentence
a decision made by a court or tribunal regarding a case it has heard
the controversial ruling by the state's supreme court caused an uproar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in decree
an order publicly issued by an authority
the FCC's ruling regarding the broadcasting of obscenities
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people
the ruling opinion on premarital sex
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over
a sea captain who ruled his ship sternly but justly
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in controlling
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruling
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The decision follows a March 7 ruling by Lamberth that Lake had been improperly installed as the agency’s CEO and thus was without authority to carry out its dismantling.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
But opponents saw the move as an attempt by López Obrador to strengthen the power of his ruling Morena party by overhauling the very judiciary that often blocked some of his policy proposals.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
What’s inspiring the attacks The attacks have angered Nigerians, with many accusing President Bola Tinubu’s government and the ruling party of prioritizing next year’s presidential election in which Tinubu is expected to seek reelection.
—Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruling
Noun
With lawmakers divided and courts weighing competing rulings, the legal framework governing these markets may remain unsettled for some time.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The decision follows a March 7 ruling by Lamberth that Lake had been improperly installed as the agency’s CEO and thus was without authority to carry out its dismantling.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Critics argue the measures target urban, educated, and affluent voters who may not support the ruling Fidesz party.
—Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
But opponents saw the move as an attempt by López Obrador to strengthen the power of his ruling Morena party by overhauling the very judiciary that often blocked some of his policy proposals.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Verb
Order 1 dissolved the ruling Baath Party and removed all senior party members from their government positions, purging the administrative class that ran its ministries, hospitals and schools.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
What’s inspiring the attacks The attacks have angered Nigerians, with many accusing President Bola Tinubu’s government and the ruling party of prioritizing next year’s presidential election in which Tinubu is expected to seek reelection.
—Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruling
Noun
-
The pair are believed to have been found guilty in an Iranian court of spying on behalf of both France and Israel and given long prison sentences, according to the BBC.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Meghan Hamilton of Warren, Michigan, was handed the sentence by a Macomb County Circuit Court judge on Thursday.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And three months before introducing the new decree, Argentina’s right-wing president Javier Milei, an ally of prime minister Giorgia Meloni, was granted citizenship by descent on a state visit to Italy.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
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Trump's nebulous decree immediately put him at odds with GOP leaders in Congress, who have been urging a swift end to the ongoing funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security over Democrats' calls for immigration enforcement reform.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.—
Betsy Golden Kellem,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Harvesting seed nearby is a way to get plants that are genetically adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions and are more likely to thrive.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Images from Budapest suggested Tisza had mobilized more support, reflecting the party's lead over the governing Fidesz that one pollster recently put at 20 percentage points.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
According to the complaint, the university did not provide advance notice, a hearing or evidence that the group violated campus policies governing student organizations before deactivating the College Republicans.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But controlling the weather, at least as Irving Langmuir envisioned it, was just plain folly.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
-
There were kids from legitimate moshpit organizations just traveling around, controlling the way the crowd reacted.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those with life sentences will serve part of them in a prison and the rest in a special regime penal colony, according to the verdict.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The verdict was returned about seven hours after jurors resumed deliberations following a long weekend recess.—
Corey J. Murray,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 2003, as the United States invaded Iraq over false claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, Khamenei issued a religious edict — a fatwa — declaring nuclear weapons to be forbidden under Islam.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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That was despite a Spanish edict forbidding Pueblo people to possess horses.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Geopolitics aside, this news is a huge deal for the BCIs in general.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood The Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman gets all the attention and accolades as being one of the smartest and most successful general managers in sports, and deservedly so.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruling. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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