as in rule
a statement spelling out the proper procedure or conduct for an activity
before the debate begins, let's lay out some ground rules
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Recent Examples of ground rule
Publishing income sharing agreements exist among major acts in the music business, and platinum-level acts such as U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers built their careers by establishing royalty-sharing ground rules at an early stage, thereby avoiding costly litigation and personal conflict later on.
—
Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
After reports that Prince Harry had his own list of requests to go on with the reconciliation, there are now rumors that King Charles has his own ground rules, too, for the upcoming meeting.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
Despite going no-contact, the woman finally approached her mother-in-law about establishing some ground rules in order to move forward.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
That’s why new parents should set some grandparenting ground rules as soon as possible to avoid nasty arguments and frayed relationships down the road, according to bestselling author and parenting expert Esther Wojcicki.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground rule
Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
After reports that Prince Harry had his own list of requests to go on with the reconciliation, there are now rumors that King Charles has his own ground rules, too, for the upcoming meeting.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
Despite going no-contact, the woman finally approached her mother-in-law about establishing some ground rules in order to move forward.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
That’s why new parents should set some grandparenting ground rules as soon as possible to avoid nasty arguments and frayed relationships down the road, according to bestselling author and parenting expert Esther Wojcicki.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground rule
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground rule
Noun
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The number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa rules for workers in key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and caregiving.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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However, Laporta has now become closer to La Liga president Tebas, as Barca have looked for more flexibility in meeting the competition’s strict financial sustainability rules.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Madrid’s official complaints to the Spanish government’s Higher Sports Council, alleging that La Liga did not have the competency to organise the Miami game within official regulations, sought to raise the possibility of Tebas being suspended from his position.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Each state has its own regulations and tax rates for sports betting.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Spanx Airessentials Relaxed Long Sleeve Top Loads of shopper-favorite Spanx styles are quietly marked down right now, and first-time shoppers can even score an additional 15 percent at checkout off with the code FIRST15.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Harmlessly wandering about the village, belly and breasts exposed—at times completely naked—Pagli discomforts established codes of etiquette.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The restoration aligns with federal responsibilities under historic-preservation law and recent executive orders to beautify the nation's capital and restore pre-existing statues.—
NPR,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
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All enclosures are at least eight times larger than what is required by federal law and evaluated annually by federal and state veterinarians, the Fechters said.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ground rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20rule. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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