lie down
verb
lay down; lain down; lying down; lies down
1
: to submit meekly or abjectly to defeat, disappointment, or insult
—used chiefly in the phrase take (something) lying down
… if Walker does get the go-ahead to implement his anti-union law, the teachers in Madison aren't going to take it lying down, Matthew says. They may walk out on the job again.—
Matthew Rothschild
Matthew Rothschild2
: to fail to perform or to neglect one's part deliberately
—used chiefly in the phrase lie down on the job
While the Sanitation Department was accused of lying down on the job, the police were accused of harassment …—Walter Thabit
see also lie entry 1 sense 1b
Walter ThabitExamples of lie down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Smiley suffered permanent injury from an untreated broken pelvis from a truncheon blow and could not bend or lie down without assistance for two weeks.
—Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
As expected, internet providers are not going to take this lying down and will pursue the options available to them to stop net neutrality from happening.
—Oscar Gonzalez / Gizmodo, Quartz, 26 Apr. 2024
Ann is seen walking or sitting or lying down in rooms that, however cramped, seem like empty expanses.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
This supportive mattress offers minimal motion transfer and didn’t sink with two people lying down on it.
—Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
The fight ended with both men hurt and Gray retreating through an alley to lie down in a yard on Russell Street, according to prosecutors.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
Thanks to the latest software update for the Meta Quest 3, Meta’s newest headset now has the lying down mode that came to the Quest 2 and Pro headsets last month.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024
Some people lie down straight on the floor underneath a bed.
—Fredlyn Pierre Louis, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
And this will be a sign unto you: the lamb will lie down with the lion.
—Bruce Headlam, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
Oleksandr Chubko, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
As expected, internet providers are not going to take this lying down and will pursue the options available to them to stop net neutrality from happening.
—Oscar Gonzalez / Gizmodo, Quartz, 26 Apr. 2024
Ann is seen walking or sitting or lying down in rooms that, however cramped, seem like empty expanses.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
This supportive mattress offers minimal motion transfer and didn’t sink with two people lying down on it.
—Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
The fight ended with both men hurt and Gray retreating through an alley to lie down in a yard on Russell Street, according to prosecutors.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 10 Apr. 2024
Thanks to the latest software update for the Meta Quest 3, Meta’s newest headset now has the lying down mode that came to the Quest 2 and Pro headsets last month.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024
Some people lie down straight on the floor underneath a bed.
—Fredlyn Pierre Louis, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
And this will be a sign unto you: the lamb will lie down with the lion.
—Bruce Headlam, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lie down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20down. Accessed 6 May. 2024.
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