as in rules
a statement spelling out the proper procedure or conduct for an activity
before the debate begins, let's lay out some ground rules
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Recent Examples of ground rules
Instead, White suggests talking about things in advance and setting some ground rules.
—
Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
Enlargement may look pretty on paper, but BRICS needs ground rules, enforcement, and even just a common message.
—Brian Wong, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Many of these groups, including Nallen Copley’s, have strict ground rules against pitching products and deals and gatekeep against vendors or brokers.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Are Hal and Kate planning to assess and adjust their expectations and ground rules at the six-month or one-year mark?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Factionalism, doctrine, ground rules, justifications are, in Anderson’s film, irrelevant, meaning that French 75’s actions take place in an intellectual void.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
No ground rules needed to be set before cameras began to roll.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Publishing income sharing agreements exist among major acts in the music business, and platinum-level acts such as U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers built their careers by establishing royalty-sharing ground rules at an early stage, thereby avoiding costly litigation and personal conflict later on.
—Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
After reports that Prince Harry had his own list of requests to go on with the reconciliation, there are now rumors that King Charles has his own ground rules, too, for the upcoming meeting.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
Enlargement may look pretty on paper, but BRICS needs ground rules, enforcement, and even just a common message.
—Brian Wong, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Many of these groups, including Nallen Copley’s, have strict ground rules against pitching products and deals and gatekeep against vendors or brokers.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Are Hal and Kate planning to assess and adjust their expectations and ground rules at the six-month or one-year mark?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Factionalism, doctrine, ground rules, justifications are, in Anderson’s film, irrelevant, meaning that French 75’s actions take place in an intellectual void.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
No ground rules needed to be set before cameras began to roll.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Publishing income sharing agreements exist among major acts in the music business, and platinum-level acts such as U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers built their careers by establishing royalty-sharing ground rules at an early stage, thereby avoiding costly litigation and personal conflict later on.
—Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
After reports that Prince Harry had his own list of requests to go on with the reconciliation, there are now rumors that King Charles has his own ground rules, too, for the upcoming meeting.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground rules
Noun
-
There are rules about a team winning too often, and the Hawks have picked in the top three for three straight years.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
But talking about identity has ever-shifting rules and hierarchies that amount to bear-traps that can spring at any time.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Toews cites Post Falls, near his North Idaho hometown, as a city cutting regulations of its own accord.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
13 Feb. 2026
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Air quality regulations and programs are loosening their restrictions.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Straight men, in particular, are only talked about, kept in the background, or appearing as authority figures trying to uphold absurd laws and traditions.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Often, competitive incentives offered by state governments, state laws that are less friendly to labor unions than many northern states and access to major transportation networks are among the reasons behind the industry’s rise in the South.—
Brian Moody,
AJC.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The walls are papered with Venmo codes for donations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
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The other important part is whether building and fire codes allow the type of structure that makes sense for the site.—
Waleed Albakry,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ground rules.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20rules. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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