1
as in regulation
a statement spelling out the proper procedure or conduct for an activity
read the rules that are posted before you use the pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in government
lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation)
the years during which Russia was under Communist rule
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tradition
an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing
one of the sacred rules of that ancient society was respect for the elderly
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to govern
to exercise authority or power over
a sea captain who ruled his ship sternly but justly
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to control
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
a monarch who is known for ruling her emotions with an iron hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rule
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
The game started at 7 p.m. and on the first pitch, one of Banana Ball’s rules came into play.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 24 May 2025
The researchers counted ectopic pregnancy as an adverse event, arguing that doctors should have ruled it out before prescribing mifepristone.
—Keren Landman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule
Noun
Two years later, Kirsten Stewart tiptoed around the rule by arriving in stilettos and pointedly removing them when arriving at the photographer’s pit.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
The game started at 7 p.m. and on the first pitch, one of Banana Ball’s rules came into play.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Verb
The large settlement came after a state appeals court ruled the city had denied Petrovich a fair hearing on his proposal to build a gas station there.
—Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 24 May 2025
The researchers counted ectopic pregnancy as an adverse event, arguing that doctors should have ruled it out before prescribing mifepristone.
—Keren Landman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rule
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rule
Noun
-
Real progress likely depends on systemic change: bold regulations to limit plastic production, major investments in alternative materials, and the will to challenge an industry that has polluted our planet for decades.—
Aissa Dearing,
JSTOR Daily,
22 May 2025
-
Indiana capped a furious 20-6 run in the final 2:39 of regulation with Tyrese Haliburton’s long, stepback 2-pointer, which tied the game 125-125 as time expired.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
But Trump’s second term has upended the relationship between higher education and the federal government.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
-
And ultimately, immigration attorneys say, the government makes mistakes.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
1 June 2025
Noun
-
The weeklong beach vacation is a longstanding tradition in many Southern families.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 May 2025
-
More and more people are adjusting tradition to find something that suits them better.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
Those organizations want to police themselves, and have gone so far as to have a meeting earlier this year to lay down the rules to the NCAA at how that organization will govern those two top leagues.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
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Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
In 1950, the wall was reconstructed to control erosion and create artificial beaches.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
23 May 2025
-
Cardinale and his team have long chased the Telegraph, but an earlier an earlier attempt to buy it through All3Media owner RedBird IMI, which is majority controlled out of the Middle East, was blocked by the Conservative Party.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Sunday marks the first batch — 83, to be exact — to become law.—
Hannah Gaskill,
Baltimore Sun,
31 May 2025
-
Asian Americans’ outrage over a judge’s leniency in the case — the assailants received $3,000 fines and no jail time — sparked a surge of activism seeking tougher hate crime laws nationwide.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
On the day the triennial opened, the Trump administration announced its intention to bar Harvard University from admitting international students.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
-
On May 5, days after the Trump administration began canceling grants, a group of senior officials at the NEA announced their resignations.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
This process helps us self-audit, regulate our practices and identify areas for improvement.—
Geoff Scott,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
Each one shapes how we’re perceived and how others regulate their own behavior in response.—
Scott Hutcheson,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rule. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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