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
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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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay down
To make homes more resilient and more insurable, the foundation gave residents vouchers for gravel to lay down in the 5 feet surrounding their homes.
—
Taylor Haney, NPR, 22 Jan. 2025
After a while a couple of the wolves laid down for a few minutes, again showing they were not being disturbed by our presents.
—Stan Tekiela, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
For Mahomes, that meant a chance to really lay down the law about who was in charge in the NFL now.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 5 Feb. 2025
At one point, the video shows the man unbuckling his seatbelt and laying down in the back seat, before an officer, later identified as Harris, opens the door and begins allegedly punching and elbowing the man's head repeatedly.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Taylor Haney, NPR, 22 Jan. 2025
After a while a couple of the wolves laid down for a few minutes, again showing they were not being disturbed by our presents.
—Stan Tekiela, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
For Mahomes, that meant a chance to really lay down the law about who was in charge in the NFL now.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 5 Feb. 2025
At one point, the video shows the man unbuckling his seatbelt and laying down in the back seat, before an officer, later identified as Harris, opens the door and begins allegedly punching and elbowing the man's head repeatedly.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
Verb
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Some states are already making moves President Biden’s administration largely blocked states from enacting work rules of their own and required 10 states to remove the requirement for Medicaid coverage.—
Amanda Seitz,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2025
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The Ivanhoe grant marked only the latest fallout in the Kansas City metro from the wave of spending cuts and reductions enacted since President Donald Trump took office.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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German Christian Democrat Norbert Röttgen, a longtime advocate for transatlantic alliances, said the Trump administration had in effect declared an ideological war on Europe.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2025
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In Tennessee, authorities declared a state of emergency in Obion County following a levee failure that flooded the small community of Rives.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Fabio Wajngarten, a lawyer for Bolsonaro, did not immediately comment on the charges but said there would be a statement, without specifying when.—
Eléonore Hughes and Mauricio Savarese,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2025
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Tuesday’s comments are his most detailed yet in specifying other sectors to be hit with fresh barriers if implemented.—
Bloomberg,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In fact, the deal’s toughest opponents argued that America had traded them away too soon: The pressure was working so well that if the U.S. had just kept it up, the Iranian regime might have permanently relinquished its entire nuclear program or, better yet, collapsed.—
Edward Fishman,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2025
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Craig, who made his Bond debut in 2006's Casino Royale, relinquished his license to kill and retired his 007 with No Time to Die.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In Nashville, Tennessee, city officials passed ordinances aimed at muffling extremist activity after more frequent demonstrations by such groups, including an instance in July when demonstrators rushed the council chambers, forcing closure of the gallery.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Naturally, given his wide array of skills, there were four answers pertaining to him: his passing, shot, hockey sense and puck protection.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Similar to the claims in Trump’s executive order, the Army asserted that the medical needs of transgender people were onerous or impossible for the Army to meet.—
Natalie Shibley / Made by History,
TIME,
21 Feb. 2025
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By ensuring aerospace sovereignty and air defense, NORAD also asserts aerospace control.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The first step is to have your strategy and vision clearly defined.—
Tan Lin,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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The British duo’s songs were also defined by emotional catharsis, drawing on childhood trauma and nightmares to produce big, hooky synth pop anthems that quickly took over the charts in the U.K., and eventually the rest of the world.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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On the display side, the 6400 enables True Color Accuracy, allowing screens to render more lifelike colors.—
Iyaz Akhtar,
PCMAG,
25 Feb. 2025
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While the haptic controls can be an annoyance, there is a feature that times out in 15 seconds and renders them inactive until a surface is pressed and held.—
Basem Wasef,
Robb Report,
25 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to lay down
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Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20down. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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