LAYING DOWN Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

laying down

verb

present participle of lay down

as in enacting

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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as in declaring

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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as in specifying

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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as in relinquishing

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying down

Verb

In our moment of reckoning, most of the current momentum is going toward enacting social media bans for kids younger than 16.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Let them — especially the new governor, presumably Xavier Becerra — consider enacting new CEQA reforms, holding months of public hearings and ultimately compromising on a deal.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of enacting

Verb

If Taipei refrains from crossing the ultimate red line of declaring formal independence, Beijing appears confident in its long-term strategy of integration.

— Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Citizenship revoked retroactively The October judgment goes beyond simply declaring that Acosta Torres is no longer an American citizen.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of declaring

Verb

The Nigerian government has pledged funding for the response, Kaseya said, without specifying an amount.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The company also says technological improvements across the 737 MAX program reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 20%, without specifying the comparison baseline in the announcement.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of specifying

Verb

With all the characters in the show, there’s an exploration of losing control, taking control and relinquishing control, and Chris experiences all of those.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
One panel was falling, then smashing on the path, lead relinquishing its long grip on the glass.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of relinquishing

Verb

Walker enters this game with 106 carries and 21 passing targets (14 receptions) in just five games.

— Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
These showers won’t make their way to Sacramento, but a few passing clouds over the region are expected late morning and early afternoon as the decaying pulse of earlier rain passes.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of passing

Verb

But experts believe Kim's sister has been asserting her authority recently, too, and appearances like this week's are part of that effort.

— Anna Coren, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Reyes denied the government’s motion to recuse, asserting the facts contradict the administration’s criticism.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

Yet as black became a defining color of modern fashion, most famously through Gabrielle Chanel’s little black dress of 1926, its association with mourning gradually loosened.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
In From Day One As countries build generation-defining infrastructure—road and rail tunnels, smart stadiums and hospital precincts—connectivity is too often bolted on late in construction.

— Stephen Farrugia, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of defining

Verb

Halo 4, 5, and Infinite used sci-fi nonsense to transform him into this larger-than-life figure, rendering the rest of the UNSC largely powerless in the process.

— Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Earlier this year, Alta began powering all AI within Rent the Runway’s app—and Rent the Runway saw a 35% increase in engagement after integrating Alta’s styling and rendering capabilities.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of rendering

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.

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laying by

laying down

laying eyes on

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Style

“Laying down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20down. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of laying down

verb

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