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

Before heading out, Jackie lays down some strict ground rules for Heavenly, including a no-profanity policy. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025

On Saturday, the rebels issued an ultimatum to Congolese forces defending Goma, giving them 48 hours to lay down arms. —Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 26 Jan. 2025

The healthy number of starter homes will enable newcomers to lay down roots, according to the report. —Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025

Many depicted the California town as neighborly and quiet before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex laid down roots in 2020. —Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 22 Jan. 2025

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