lay down

verb

Definition of lay downnext
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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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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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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lay down Licensed installers remove old flooring, prep the subfloor and lay down your new floors. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 17 July 2026 On Friday, Fanara’s daughter Michelle Fanara said, her father was working on a project at a neighboring property, stepped inside Palermo, lay down to rest and did not get up. — Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Maria put on a mask against the putrid smell and lay down on the ground. — Philip Wang, Time, 29 June 2026 First, a spider would lay down an anchor point on a surface where green tree ants were likely to forage, before attaching it to a tension line connecting back to the main web. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay down
  1. enact
  2. declare
  3. specify
  4. relinquish
  5. pass
  6. assert
  7. define
  8. render
Verb
  • The problem is that those court orders conflict with guidelines enacted by conferences such as the SEC and Big Ten.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • They were first enacted in 2021 during the Biden administration.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of enact
Verb
  • Officers began lifesaving aid until EMS arrived to take the victim to a hospital, where he was later declared deceased, police shared.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The land forces of Germany, France, and Britain had been facing one another since war was declared on September 1, 1939, until the standoff became something of a grim joke.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of declare
Verb
  • The suit does not specify how much of the $4 million worth of gas went to Freedom Fuel stations or indicate whether the stations have a relationship with KRSM or Kazmi.
    — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of sending vague meeting invites, specify the topic so employees do not default to anxiety.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of specify
Verb
  • Goss voluntarily relinquished his Missouri law license and surrendered his right to practice law in Kansas.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
  • During her tenure, Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their titles; Voigt had accused Rose of a toxic workplace culture.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of relinquish
Verb
  • Senior quarterback Brady Cloherty threw a whopping seven TD passes after the Caravan (1-1) faced a 30-point hole in the second quarter.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • From the moment Billie learns about Sophie-Rose, the teenager who inherited her legendary fake ID after it was already passed down to multiple other Gen-Z blondes, she’s obsessed.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pass
Verb
  • Bates declared the platform the Principality of Sealand and asserted its sovereignty as a micronation distinct from Great Britain.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than simply asserting that demand is durable, Kress argued that Nvidia’s growth is increasingly diversified beyond hyperscalers such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of assert
Verb
  • Made for pretty much every texture, the airy foam gives fine-to-medium hair body without weighing it down, while helping define and smooth thicker waves and curls without sacrificing movement.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Drone warfare has become a defining feature in the country's war, with both sides carrying out strikes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.
    — Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The class also requires students to design, analyze and render complex 2D and 3D graphics, modeling, texturing, lighting and animation across multiple styles of video games.
    — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of render

Browse Nearby Words

lay by
lay down
layer
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Cite this Entry

“Lay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20down. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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