1
as in enacts
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declares
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in specifies
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 relinquishes
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays down
Verb
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Ibsen’s title character is a spoiled, headstrong young woman who, newly and unhappily married to a dull scholar, enacts a Machiavellian scheme to advance his career and her social standing, with catastrophic results.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025 -
However, the laws can’t go into effect until the federal government enacts similar legislation, and both the 2025 versions of the bill fizzled out in a congressional committee.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Preoccupied, Laz ignores his phone and proceeds with his work, where a ranting and raving Arlo declares that God is going to punish him.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
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Upon the basis of these findings, Congress declares that the constitutional right of citizens to vote is denied or abridged in some areas by the requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The bill also specifies that if an AI causes harm, the human owners or developers would be responsible.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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The dress code also specifies the type of shoes to be worn and forbids facial tattoos or more than one facial piercing.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The first rule of power politics is that nobody relinquishes authority willingly.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
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In a street vacation, the city relinquishes the right of way or public service easement to an adjacent property owner or owners.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If diplomatic assurances succeed in inducing mutual restraint, and 2027 passes without incident, then a new stability in the western Pacific could take hold, anchoring the security and prosperity of a vital and dynamic region.—
STEPHEN WERTHEIM,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Oct. 2025
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But if the referendum passes, the charter change would apply to land valued over $500,000 regardless of size.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The complaint asserts that the transfer was a deliberate attempt to disrupt Holt’s legal advocacy on behalf of himself and other inmates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
-
And Doctorow asserts Amazon began charging merchants junk fees.—
NPR,
NPR,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The fine-structure constant, known as the Sommerfeld or alpha, is a dimensionless physical constant that defines how light interacts with matter.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
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Jackson Hole, Wyoming A rugged and untamed spirit defines Jackson Hole, a resort that has long earned its reputation as a mecca for expert skiers.—
Charles Curkin,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hawke renders Hart as the most erudite barfly to buzz around mid-century Manhattan.—
Kyle McGovern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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There are unanswered overtures from the choir’s pianist Horner (Robert Emms), a soft, vulnerable young man whose conscientious-objector status renders him a fellow outsider.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
19 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Lays down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20down. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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