lay down

verb

laid down; laying down; lays down

transitive verb

1

: to give up : surrender

lay down your arms

2

a

: establish, prescribe

lay down a scale for a map

b

: to assert or command dogmatically

lay down the law

3

a

: store, preserve

laid down a young wine

b

: record

laying down songs for their new album

4

a

: to direct toward a target

lay down a barrage

b

: to hit along the ground

laid down a sacrifice bunt

intransitive verb

nonstandard : to lie down

Synonyms

• constitute
• enact
• legislate
• make
• ordain
• pass

Examples of lay down in a Sentence

the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals

at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments

Recent Examples on the Web

Bowers also appreciates having a more compressed period of time to lay down his ideas and get the right colors and tone for the music. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2024

Disney and his team brought Mickey Mouse and the gang to life in a convincing way by laying down serious rules about movement, weight, volume and gravity. —Mike Murchison, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

The there are the hundreds pictures of the Black community, which began laying down roots in the neighborhood starting at the turn of the last century. —Samantha Conti, WWD, 18 Oct. 2024

After the machine was explained to me, I was taught how to properly lay down on the contraption and instructed to lie still while the machine scanned me like a TSA bin. —Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

Kids Definition

lay down

verb

1

: establish sense 1, prescribe

lay down standards

2

: to state or declare forcefully

lay down the law