lie down

verb

lay down; lain down; lying down; lies down

: to submit meekly or abjectly to defeat, disappointment, or insult

—used chiefly in the phrase take (something) lying down

… if Walker does get the go-ahead to implement his anti-union law, the teachers in Madison aren't going to take it lying down, Matthew says. They may walk out on the job again.—

Matthew Rothschild

: to fail to perform or to neglect one's part deliberately

—used chiefly in the phrase lie down on the job

While the Sanitation Department was accused of lying down on the job, the police were accused of harassment …—

Walter Thabit

Examples of lie down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Before resting in a bed, Cloud always takes the time to rack his gear before lying down. —

Ash Parrish, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024 On the truck's tailgate is a rendering meant to look as if the president is hog-tied and lying down in the bed of the pick-up. —

Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2024 The play gym features three stages of learning (for lying down, tummy time, and sitting up), five repositionable toys, two maracas, and a machine-washable mat (which adults will appreciate). —

Maya Polton, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024 At one point in the film, Godzilla, weary from all that stomping around, lies down to take a well-deserved nap in the middle of Rome’s Colosseum. —

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024 The Almond and the Seahorse are the nicknames given to the parts of human brains that lay down new memories and hold on to the old ones. —

Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 The couple lay down on cushions in the snap, with Paltrow covering her eyes with a pair of sunglasses. —

Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Symptoms Begin or Worsen at Rest The urge to move often begins or worsens during rest periods or inactivity, such as lying down or sitting. —

Health Editorial Team, Health, 15 Mar. 2024 Between 2013 and 2015, for 24 hours a day for seven days total, participants of the new study wore activity trackers on their wrists to monitor daily step count and time spent being sedentary (sitting or lying down while awake). —

Kristen Rogers, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.