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What is another word for lay down the law?

Need synonyms for lay down the law? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Contexts ▼

To issue instructions to other people in an authoritative or dogmatic way

To command the doing of by one's authority

To criticize or censure harshly

To direct, handle, control, or be in charge of

To express one's opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way

To declare or announce in a formal or solemn way

To punish or rebuke formally for an offense

To maintain one's position staunchly in the face of opposition

… more ▼

Verb

To issue instructions to other people in an authoritative or dogmatic way

“She'll lay down the law on headline issues and take your calls.”

Verb

To command the doing of by one's authority

put your foot down

read the riot act

constitutionalize

put laws in force

make a judgement

give the command to

give the order to

give directions

decriminalize^US

legitimatize^US

legitimatise^UK

decriminalise^UK

give the green light to

particularize^US

particularise^UK

give the go-ahead to

give the thumbs up to

bring into effect

pronounce lawful

give the stamp of approval to

put into effect

make demands on

arrange a date for

arrange a time for

give instructions

follow through with

make it a condition

have as a condition

make provision for

put one's finger on

put into practice

railroad through

give the seal of approval to

put pressure on

use pressure on

put the heat on

put the screws on

more ❯

Verb

To criticize or censure harshly

give a talking-to

rake over the coals

give someone hell

read the riot act

give someone an earful

tear off a strip

give someone a mouthful

give someone a telling-off

haul over the coals

give someone a rollicking

give someone a dressing-down

give someone a bollocking

give someone a rating

give someone a roasting

give someone what for

find fault with

give someone a caning

slap someone's wrist

let someone have it

give someone a wigging

give someone a row

remonstrate with

rap over the knuckles

tear a strip off

slap on the wrist

inveigh against

blacken someone's reputation

vituperate against

take to the woodshed

give someone some stick

send someone away with a flea in their ear

lose one's temper with

have someone on the carpet

jump down someone's throat

bite someone's head off

give the business

cast aspersions on

do a hatchet job on

fulminate against

drag through the mud

throw brickbats at

give a bad name

blacken the name of

give someone a bad press

criticize severely

spread lies about

give a black eye

give something a battering

sully the reputation of

give something a bad press

go for the jugular

spread scandal about

blacken the reputation of

tell lies about

cut to the quick

conduct a smear campaign against

give a bad press to

sully someone's reputation

give some stick to

call over the coals

drag through the mire

bring into disrepute

treat disrespectfully

declaim against

jump down one's throat

give someone bondi

run a smear campaign against

take down a peg

treat with contempt

take a swipe at

drag someone's name through the mud

drag someone's name through the mire

write false reports about

blacken the character of

feel contempt for

spread tales about

cut down to size

blacken someone's name

drag name through mud

assault verbally

call on the carpet

bring discredit to

criticize harshly

animadvert upon

give tongue-lashing

give a piece of one's mind

jump on one's case

snap someone's head off

criticize unfairly

give comeuppance

knock off high horse

give someone a carpeting

criticize hatefully

hurl insults at

give a tongue-lashing

speak of with disfavour

be unkind about

be malicious about

shoot full of holes

pass strictures upon

keep nothing back

erupt with anger

give offence to

injure the reputation of

taint someone's name

blacken someone's character

stain someone's good name

sully someone's name

tarnish someone's name

soil someone's name

cause offence to

regard with disgust

step on one's toes

hurt somebody's feelings

feel aversion to

feel disgust for

point finger at

hang something on

blow whistle on

lay at one's door

send up the river

feel revulsion to

be scornful about

be contemptuous about

hold in contempt

curl your lip at

spit in the face of

turn your nose up at

show contempt for

turn up one's nose at

spit in the eye of

look down one's nose at

defame someone's character

run smear campaign

find intolerable

not be able to stomach

not be able to stand

have a horror of

have no use for

not be able to bear

regard with contempt

expostulate about

protest strongly at

make a fuss about

make a stand against

kick up a fuss about

take issue with

thunder against

raise objections to

make a protest against

complain vociferously about

disagree violently with

oppose strongly

put up a fight against

kick up a stink about

complain bitterly about

take a stand against

speak out against

remonstrate about

express disapproval of

take great exception to

be unable to stand

have a strong aversion to

greatly dislike

be unable to bear

more ❯

Verb

To direct, handle, control, or be in charge of

exercise control over

have control of

be in charge of

be in control of

be the leader of

be in power over

exercise authority

call the signals

pull the strings

serve the people

be at the helm of

be in the driving seat

be in the driver's seat

keep under thumb

play first fiddle

lead by the nose

have upper hand

wear the trousers

be in the saddle

assume command of

be in driver's seat

call the shots on

be in command of

have ascendancy over

rule the roost in

have mastery over

have under one's thumb

have the upper hand over

have the whip hand over

ride roughshod over

have the upper hand in

be at the wheel

hold the purse strings

make the decisions

be responsible for

have authority over

take the reins of

exercise authority over

be in authority over

hold dominion over

call the shots in

call the tune in

control the affairs of

point in the right direction

put on the right track

have power over

have command over

be pre-eminent over

more ❯

Verb

To express one's opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way

get on a soapbox

express one's opinion

give an address

make a statement

address an audience

deliver an address

philosophize^US

philosophise^UK

speak at length

give lessons in

get on your high horse

speak monotonously

talk interminably

talk forcefully

shoot off one's mouth

editorialise^UK

editorialize^US

write learnedly

write at length

give an address to

give a speech to

give a discourse to

give a dissertation to

make a speech to

give an oration to

give a lecture to

give a sermon to

deliver a sermon to

more ❯

Verb

To declare or announce in a formal or solemn way

give a ruling on

give a verdict on

sit in judgement on

pass judgement on

make a ruling on

sit in judgment

shout from the rooftops

say confidently

shoot off one's mouth

give an undertaking

give one's word

speak with confidence

issue a statement about

run off at mouth

put up argument

draw conclusions

cross one's heart and hope to die

give an assurance

set the seal on

shoot one's wad

give grounds for

make a statement

bring into the open

swear on the Bible

make an affidavit

state under oath

promise under oath

solemnly promise

swear up and down

make a deposition

shout from the housetops

get on a soapbox

spread it around

more ❯

Verb

To punish or rebuke formally for an offense

remonstrate with

take disciplinary action against

give someone a dressing-down

give someone a roasting

rap over the knuckles

put on the carpet

throw the book at

mete out punishment to

come down on like a ton of bricks

give a lesson to

make an example of

slap someone's wrist

punish severely

discipline someone for

give something a going-over

give it to someone

give someone the works

tan someone's hide

whip someone's hide

inflict a penalty on

impose a penalty on

impose a sentence on

exact a penalty from

award a penalty against

more ❯

Verb

To maintain one's position staunchly in the face of opposition

show determination

stand your ground

stand up for oneself

brook no refusal

put your foot down

not take no for an answer

stick to your guns

be pertinacious

go the distance

stop at nothing

leave no stone unturned

see something through

stay with something

stay the course

refuse to give up

show determination in

keep going with

stand one's ground

maintain one's position

refuse to go away

hold your ground

dig your heels in

grin and bear it

keep your nose to the grindstone

soldier on with

work like a dog

work like a Trojan

take it like a man

not give up with

plod on through

press ahead with

continue to the end

grit your teeth

get your head down

see it through to the end

bring to completion

bring to a finish

plough on through

keep attempting

carry on trying

carry on doggedly

dig in your heels

work one's butt off

work one's nuts off

pursue your goal

keep your hand in

keep your head down

take the rough with the smooth

take the bad with the good

work one's socks off on

kill oneself with

bite the bullet

take one for the team

grit your teeth and bear it

push through it

stand up and take it

more ❯

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Words that rhyme with lay down the law
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Nearby Words

lay down the law to someone

lay down weapons

lay emphasis on

lay down on job

lay down one's life

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