ruling 1 of 3

noun

ˈrü-liŋ How to pronounce ruling (audio)
Definition of rulingnext
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

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2
as in decree
an order publicly issued by an authority the FCC's ruling regarding the broadcasting of obscenities

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ruling

2 of 3

adjective

as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people the ruling opinion on premarital sex

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ruling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of rule
1
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over a sea captain who ruled his ship sternly but justly

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ruling
Noun
Benjamin Hanna, a visiting superior court judge, issued a ruling last Thursday that granted Willows’ request for a temporary restraining order against the county. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026 That ruling, issued by the Court last month, expanded the President’s power to fire the leaders of independent agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission at will. — Connor Greene, Time, 10 July 2026
Adjective
Mali’s ruling junta responded to an al-Qaida affiliate’s fuel blockade by shuttering all schools until mid-November, the latest sign of instability in the West African country. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025 How would the new ruling impact DACA recipients and first-time applicants? — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
On Thursday, London’s Southwark Crown Court dismissed the charge, ruling there was not sufficient evidence that the buyer was a Russian resident at the time of the sale. — News Desk, Artforum, 10 July 2026 The leader of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, traveled to Kuwait immediately after the Iranian attack for a meeting with the small, oil-rich nation’s ruling emir. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruling
  1. sentence
  2. decree
  3. prevailing
  4. governing
  5. controlling
  6. verdict
  7. edict
  8. general
Noun
  • One of them, a 25-year-old Antioch man, is serving a prison sentence in an unrelated Walnut Creek shooting.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
  • Martin declined to make a statement before his sentence was announced.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of sentence
Noun
  • While the threshold sparked debate, the decree offers financial incentives for parties to merge by discounting registration fees for coalitions and alliances.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
  • Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued the decree on Thursday, calling for the election to be held in all of the Palestinian Territories.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 July 2026
Definition of decree
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of prevailing
Verb
  • Digging in the sand is a cherished beach tradition, but a trend of tourists creating deeper holes has forced many coastal towns to adopt laws governing the practice.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2026
  • Chapa also removed proposals for new rules around noise and economic development agreements related to data centers, however, the council will consider new rules governing data center water use, Syed said.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
Definition of governing
Verb
  • Sacramento dominated the game on the stat sheet, controlling 65% of the possession and outpassing Boise by a 2-to-1 margin.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2026
  • Managing those demands — simplifying decisions, controlling tempo and conserving energy — may be as much a feature of playing in the heat as the physical strain itself.
    — Alan McCall, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of controlling
Noun
  • For example, a 30-second limit from the first stoppage of play for an initial VAR verdict, then another 30 seconds for the referee to make the final call.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 14 July 2026
  • The total comprises the $5 million in damages awarded in the jury's May 2023 verdict, plus post-judgment interest that accrued in the subsequent three years.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 14 July 2026
Definition of verdict
Noun
  • Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse The highly agile Getty shooter Alan Crowhurst has done us a great favor by bringing concrete cloakroom evidence of the many social and administrative challenges that the (famous) Royal Ascot costume edicts require in order to be properly met.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
  • The memorandum includes a pledge by Iran to never purchase or construct nuclear weapons — a vow the Islamic Republic has made multiple times before, including by signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in a religious edict issued by the late supreme leader and in the Obama-era nuclear accord.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Definition of edict
Adjective
  • The county’s airports are financed through an enterprise fund rather than the county general fund.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Additional construction will add 71 patient rooms and a Surgical Trauma Progressive Care Unit, which will provide care for patients who do not require intensive care, but are not stable enough for a general medical surgical unit.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
Definition of general

Browse Nearby Words

rules out
ruling
ruling (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Ruling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruling. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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