LAYING DOWN Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

laying down

verb

present participle of lay down

as in enacting

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

as in declaring

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

as in specifying

to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in relinquishing

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying down

Verb

Universities started enacting trainings about consent and bystander intervention.

— Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Now, communities are left scrambling to cut budgets and find new sources of revenues, such as enacting a local income tax.

— Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of enacting

Verb

The lawsuit seeks, among other remedies, reinstatement to the FBI, an awarding of back pay and a court order declaring that the firings were unlawful.

— Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
And then there were also newspapers declaring that having this near-instant communication across the oceans would basically usher in an era of world peace.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of declaring

Verb

An investigation is underway, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said, without specifying whether the attacks caused any damage or casualties.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
In September, her campaign criticized Tafoya’s sports stance without specifying how Flanagan would vote on federal restrictions.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of specifying

Verb

With all the characters in the show, but with Margaret in particular, there’s this exploration of losing control, taking control and relinquishing control.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
One panel was falling, then smashing on the path, lead relinquishing its long grip on the glass.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of relinquishing

Verb

Upon passing through a deep portico entryway abutting an attached two-car garage, a vaulted reception gallery sits beneath a prominent glass atrium.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026
In an Austin school district where buses are equipped with cameras, Waymos were recorded illegally passing them more than twenty times in the past school year—a problem that persisted even after the company tried to fix it.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of passing

Verb

Moriarty's office said rejection killings are a form of femicide in which women are targeted for asserting autonomy over their bodies.

— Jason Rantala, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Trump is accustomed to asserting the primacy of force over law and clearly anticipates no punishment for doing so in front of a body dedicated to saving humanity from the scourge of war.

— Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

Medicare Advantage plans shift costs to enrollees A defining feature of Florida’s Medicare Advantage market is the prevalence of plans charging no monthly premium beyond the beneficiary’s required Part B expense.

— Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
From Europe, Dries Van Noten’s poster prints are a definitive collector’s item, the skirts at Prada are zeitgeist-defining, and Saint Laurent’s gold pieces are instantly iconic.

— Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of defining

Verb

First responders arrived on site to find community members rendering medical aid to those who were injured, Moses said.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Path tracing is an advanced form of ray tracing that's among the most demanding graphics-rendering techniques today, often requiring upscaling and frame generation to achieve a playable frame rate.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of rendering

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.

Browse Nearby Words

laying by

laying down

laying eyes on

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Laying down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20down. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of laying down

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes