laid down the law
Demanded strict compliance
To lay down the law is to assert authority by stating rules or expectations firmly and without room for negotiation.
Parents lay down the law to children; bosses lay down the law to employees.
The phrase suggests commanding rather than requesting: After the party got out of hand, she laid down the law about future guests.
- declareState officially
- dictateGive orders imperiously
- call the shotsExercise ultimate authority
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- proclaimDeclare officially and openly
govern · legislate · discipline · regulate · set boundaries · admonish · mandate · assert · impose · read the riot act · my way or the highway · instruct · warn · decree · reprimand · ultimatum · final word · adjudicate
laid down the lawdeferred
Set aside until later
acquiesced · yielded · hinted · requested · tiptoed around
laid down the lawlooked the other way
Deliberately avoided noticing
turned a blind eye · bent the rules · indulged · spoiled · loosened up
laid down the lawnegotiated
Reached terms through discussion
compromised · yielded · backed down · caved in · gave in
laid, down, laying, layers, downer, downs, downed, downing, download