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What is another word for laying down the law?

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

Contexts ▼

Present participle for to issue instructions to other people in an authoritative or dogmatic way

Present participle for to command the doing of by one's authority

Present participle for to criticize or censure harshly

Present participle for to express one's opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way

Present participle for to declare or announce in a formal or solemn way

Present participle for to punish or rebuke formally for an offense

Present participle for to give an authoritative or peremptory order

Present participle for to maintain one's position staunchly in the face of opposition

… more ▼

Verb

Present participle for to issue instructions to other people in an authoritative or dogmatic way

ordering around

riding roughshod over

calling the tune

calling the shots

telling someone what to do

throwing your weight around

holding sway over

running the show

ruling the roost

keeping under thumb

sitting on top of

walking all over

leading by the nose

having upper hand

being in the driving seat

being in the saddle

exercising control over

giving orders to

wearing the trousers

monopolizing^US

pressurising^UK

prevailing over

monopolising^UK

playing first fiddle

lording it over

pulling the strings

having one's way

pressurizing^US

being in charge

cracked the whip

holding the reins

assuming command of

calling the shots on

dictating terms

having charge of

having ascendancy over

ruling the roost in

having the upper hand in

having mastery over

having the upper hand over

having the whip hand over

making the rules

holding the purse strings

making the decisions

using strong-arm tactics on

trying to control

wearing the crown

assuming command

serving the people

exercising authority

holding dominion

calling the signals

occupying throne

having control of

acting the tin god

treating harshly

ruling with a rod of iron

trampling underfoot

ruling with an iron hand

bringing someone to their knees

having someone under your thumb

treating brutally

tyrannizing over

domineering over

weighing heavy upon

ruling despotically

pulling rank on

rendering incapable

gaining control of

bringing to heel

rendering powerless

rendering helpless

gaining ascendancy over

gaining mastery over

putting screws to

putting the screws on

bending to your will

pushing the buttons

playing the heavy with

more ❯

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

Verb

Present participle for to command the doing of by one's authority

putting your foot down

reading the riot act

constitutionalizing

establishing laws

formulating laws

laying down laws

putting laws in force

making a judgement

making into law

legitimizing^US

decriminalizing^US

carrying through

putting through

decriminalising^UK

legitimising^UK

giving the green light to

putting in force

pronouncing lawful

giving the OK to

giving the go-ahead to

giving the thumbs up to

legislating for

putting into effect

giving the stamp of approval to

declaring legal

following through with

putting in place

regularizing^US

regularising^UK

saying the word

bringing to bear

bringing into effect

putting into practice

railroading through

voting favorably

jamming through

getting the floor

giving the seal of approval to

more ❯

Verb

Present participle for to criticize or censure harshly

railing against

giving a talking-to

raking over the coals

giving a rocket

giving someone a dressing-down

hauling over the coals

giving someone a roasting

giving someone a telling-off

giving someone a rating

giving someone a rollicking

giving someone hell

tearing off a strip

reading the riot act

giving someone a mouthful

giving someone an earful

giving someone a bollocking

giving someone a wigging

finding fault with

bringing to book

rapping over the knuckles

giving someone a caning

remonstrating with

giving someone what for

letting someone have it

giving someone a row

slapping someone's wrist

tearing a strip off

stigmatizing^US

taking to pieces

stigmatising^UK

casting a slur on

inveighing against

vituperating against

giving the business

taking to the woodshed

jumping down someone's throat

giving someone some stick

putting on the mat

biting someone's head off

sending someone away with a flea in their ear

having someone on the carpet

casting aspersions on

doing a hatchet job on

speaking ill of

pulling to pieces

fulminating against

pouring scorn on

dragging through the mud

picking holes in

throwing brickbats at

scandalizing^US

speaking evil of

throwing mud at

speaking badly of

scandalising^UK

giving someone a bad press

detracting from

giving a bad name

tearing to pieces

blackening the name of

underestimating

criticizing severely

slinging mud at

spreading lies about

misrepresenting

dishonouring^UK

marginalizing^US

marginalising^UK

giving something a bad press

picking to pieces

making light of

giving a black eye

animadverting on

giving something a battering

sullying the reputation of

looking down on

trivializing^US

trivialising^UK

disapproving of

going for the jugular

flinging mud at

spreading scandal about

treating lightly

blackening the reputation of

telling lies about

cutting to the quick

conducting a smear campaign against

giving a bad press to

giving some stick to

calling over the coals

dragging through the mire

thundering against

bringing into disrepute

doing a number on

treating disrespectfully

declaiming against

jumping down one's throat

nitpicking about

giving someone bondi

running a smear campaign against

spreading tales about

dragging someone's name through the mud

blackening someone's name

feeling contempt for

look down one's nose at

taking a swipe at

cutting down to size

taking down a peg

writing false reports about

looking down upon

blackening the character of

dragging name through mud

treating with contempt

assaulting verbally

disagreeing with

putting hooks in

bringing discredit to

calling on the carpet

criticizing harshly

animadverting upon

giving a piece of one's mind

giving tongue-lashing

jumping on one's case

snapping someone's head off

gossiping about

criticizing unfairly

giving black eye

speaking of with disfavour

having a pop at

giving comeuppance

knocking off high horse

rapping knuckles

jumping all over

criticizing hatefully

giving one hell

giving someone a carpeting

hurling insults at

giving a tongue-lashing

tearing to shreds

taking swipe at

looking askance

shooting full of holes

passing strictures upon

accusing falsely

casting aspersion

erupting with anger

keeping nothing back

cracking down on

giving offence to

discountenancing

causing offence to

curling your lip at

showing contempt for

spitting in the eye of

turning back on

spitting in the face of

turning your nose up at

heaping scorn on

holding in contempt

hurting somebody's feelings

stepping on one's toes

declaring unfit

regarding with disgust

blowing whistle on

hanging something on

pointing finger at

laying at one's door

thumbing nose at

sending up the river

feeling aversion to

feeling disgust for

feeling revulsion to

having a horror of

having no use for

having a down on

regarding with contempt

finding intolerable

feeling contempt

running smear campaign

having a strong aversion to

making sport of

poking mullock at

taking the mickey

treating contemptuously

taking the piss out of

showing contempt

making a fool of

putting up a fight against

opposing strongly

expostulating about

remonstrating about

disagreeing violently with

making a fuss about

kicking against

complaining vociferously about

taking great exception to

taking issue with

speaking out against

kicking up a fuss about

complaining bitterly about

kicking up a stink about

complaining about

making a protest against

taking a stand against

expressing disapproval of

making a stand against

raising objections to

protesting strongly at

more ❯

Verb

Present participle for to express one's opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way

Verb

Present participle for to declare or announce in a formal or solemn way

spreading around

giving a ruling on

giving a verdict on

passing judgement on

passing judgment

making a ruling on

sitting in judgement on

sitting in judgment

putting forward

stating publicly

passing the word

shooting off one's mouth

giving an undertaking

giving one's word

bearing witness

binding oneself

bringing forward

swearing an oath

putting about that

putting up argument

drawing conclusions

giving testimony

crossing one's heart and hope to die

giving an assurance

committing oneself

making official

standing behind

shooting one's wad

setting the seal on

giving grounds for

giving your word

pledging oneself

promising under oath

making a deposition

solemnly promising

swearing up and down

swearing to God

swearing on the Bible

stating under oath

making an affidavit

shouting from the rooftops

blazoning abroad

getting on a soapbox

spreading it around

shouting from the housetops

more ❯

Verb

Present participle for to punish or rebuke formally for an offense

Verb

Present participle for to give an authoritative or peremptory order

Verb

Present participle for to maintain one's position staunchly in the face of opposition

showing determination

hanging in there

sticking it out

standing your ground

standing up for oneself

brooking no refusal

putting your foot down

sticking to your guns

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Words that rhyme with laying down the law
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Nearby Words

laying down the law to someone

laying down weapons

laying emphasis on

laying emphasis upon

laying down one's arms

laying down of weapons

laying down of arms

laying down laws

laying down arms

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