lie down

verb

lay down; lain down; lying down; lies down

: 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

: 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

Examples of lie down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

The black-and-white snap showed the family of four smiling while lying down in the grass. —

Stephanie Petit, People.com, 5 Feb. 2025 But within 15 minutes of returning to the holding pen, the horse was found lying down and trembling. —

David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025 But the training session ends in success, as Marlo sits, gives the paw, , lies down—and then waits until he's given the green light before gobbling up his treat. —

Rachael O'Connor, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 Pavlovich lay down in the bed and heard Palmer pacing back and forth in her room upstairs until 3 a.m. Palmer called Gaiman that night. —

Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for lie down