lay down

verb

Definition of lay downnext
1
as in to enact
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to declare
to state clearly and strongly at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to specify
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 lay down Licensed installers remove old flooring, prep the subfloor and lay down your new floors. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 17 July 2026 On Friday, Fanara’s daughter Michelle Fanara said, her father was working on a project at a neighboring property, stepped inside Palermo, lay down to rest and did not get up. — Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Maria put on a mask against the putrid smell and lay down on the ground. — Philip Wang, Time, 29 June 2026 First, a spider would lay down an anchor point on a surface where green tree ants were likely to forage, before attaching it to a tension line connecting back to the main web. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
  1. enact
  2. declare
  3. specify
  4. relinquish
  5. pass
  6. assert
  7. define
  8. render
Verb
  • The problem is that those court orders conflict with guidelines enacted by conferences such as the SEC and Big Ten.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • They were first enacted in 2021 during the Biden administration.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of enact
Verb
  • Officers began lifesaving aid until EMS arrived to take the victim to a hospital, where he was later declared deceased, police shared.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The land forces of Germany, France, and Britain had been facing one another since war was declared on September 1, 1939, until the standoff became something of a grim joke.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of declare
Verb
  • The suit does not specify how much of the $4 million worth of gas went to Freedom Fuel stations or indicate whether the stations have a relationship with KRSM or Kazmi.
    — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of sending vague meeting invites, specify the topic so employees do not default to anxiety.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of specify
Verb
  • Venus Venus will soon be relinquishing its dominance of the early evening sky.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • While Velocity Arts is within the city’s service area, the Utilities Department may relinquish this area to Evergy or another third party provider to serve the project, according to city documents.
    — Taylor O'Connor August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of relinquish
Verb
  • And the Florida Legislature passed a 2018 law that required the county to sue landowners to prove customary use.
    — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Guests enjoyed dirty martinis, negronis, and grapefruit fizz while burger sliders and truffle toasties were passed around.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of pass
Verb
  • The item asserted that some Medicare and Medicaid cancer patients wait longer for treatment than those with private insurance.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The report asserts flatly that Zucker wasn’t truthful and danced around the same accusation regarding Ballmer.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of assert
Verb
  • The trailblazing American feminist, Gloria Steinem, who died Wednesday, lived a life defined by movement in every sense of the word.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The character is composed of only the broadest of strokes, thinly defined by toughness, trauma, and uncomfortable motherhood, runoff of the stew that formed characters like Ripley.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • Something about the skylights transports me to a bygone New York rendered by cinema.
    — Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Cook until most of the fat has rendered and the pancetta is turning golden brown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of render

Browse Nearby Words

lay by
lay down
layer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20down. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All