lay down

verb

laid down; laying down; lays down

transitive verb

1

: to give up : surrender

lay down your arms

2

a

: establish, prescribe

lay down a scale for a map

b

: to assert or command dogmatically

lay down the law

3

a

: store, preserve

laid down a young wine

b

: record

laying down songs for their new album

4

a

: to direct toward a target

lay down a barrage

b

: to hit along the ground

laid down a sacrifice bunt

intransitive verb

nonstandard : to lie down

Synonyms

• constitute
• enact
• legislate
• make
• ordain
• pass

Examples of lay down in a Sentence

the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals

at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments

Recent Examples on the Web

Firefighters said at 9 p.m. that retardant and hose lines had been laid down around fire. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 16 June 2024

Reynolds laid down a nimble, frenetic guitar solo before Coffin and Ross took turns showing off their brass. —Stefan Stevenson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2024

Capricorn lays down the groundwork for success, building a solid foundation for the future even in the darkest of days. —Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024

Later in the clip, the actor dramatically laid down on a gurney and spun in a wheelchair guided by Borelli on roller skates. —Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

Kids Definition

lay down

verb

1

: establish sense 1, prescribe

lay down standards

2

: to state or declare forcefully

lay down the law