rule
noun
a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc..
had ruled
-
past perfectof rule.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When asked if he had ruled out escalation, Waltz responded: “I wouldn’t go that far at all. The president is keeping all options on the table.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The court had ruled in favor of the attorneys’ clients, halting the deportation of three family members from India, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and the disciplinary ruling did not alter that November decision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
This was a highly unusual request because, as Taraleigh Davis at SCOTUSblog confirms, “nobody had previously asked the court to halt such a major executive regulatory action before any appellate court had ruled on it.”
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Child protection experts were concerned that if the court had ruled in favour of ending the adoption, it would have destabilised the adoption system itself and made it harder to find potential adopters.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Geyer met with the lead police inspector and learned that a physician who had just examined the child’s skeleton had ruled it to be that of a little girl.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
