1
as in to put
to arrange something in a certain spot or position
just lay the book over there on the table for now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to impose
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
state officials tried to lay a tax on merchandise sold over the Internet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to prepare
to make ready in advance
she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to spread
to put a layer of on a surface
the mason laid mortar over the first row of bricks before starting the second
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
7
as in to ascribe
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
an electrical fire that was laid to faulty wiring
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in to bury
to place (a dead body) in the earth, a tomb, or the sea
lay the corpse to rest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in ballad
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment
she sang a short lay in dedication to her husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in work
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
my main lay is as a general contractor, but I do side work as a carpenter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in godless
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of lay
Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Following World War I and the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which later became Yugoslavia, both laid claim to the city of Fiume.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Its generous paddeding, cushion-back design, and lay-flat sleeper feature provide both comfort and practicality.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay
Verb
In multiple cases, the victims’ vehicles were found far from where their bodies lay, complicating the investigation.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Following World War I and the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which later became Yugoslavia, both laid claim to the city of Fiume.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Slavin and running mate Peter Antico may be obscure to the lay entertainment consumer but are familiar figures within SAG-AFTRA politics.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Its generous paddeding, cushion-back design, and lay-flat sleeper feature provide both comfort and practicality.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay
Verb
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Johnson’s 55-yard TD run in the third quarter put MidAmerica Nazarene up 31-0.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Younger consumers are, as Veblen might put it, performing taste with efficiency.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Hoover was much better in the second quarter and led TCU into the red zone, but the Horned Frogs had to settle for a 35-yard Nate McCashland field goal.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Nov. 2025
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Soika, a surgeon, unsuccessfully tried to book a rental car to get to Utah for a weekend trip before settling on an option that seemed straight out of Hollywood.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The rub is that mandatory gratuities, the 15% to 20% that restaurants often impose on parties of six people or more, aren’t eligible for the deduction, a disappointment to the restaurant and foodservice industry, which held out hope for a different outcome.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Scenes start, jarringly, without introduction or fanfare, as though we’ve been vaulted into the action; the plot resists all attempts by the viewer to impose any kind of order.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The city should immediately assemble a litigation team to prepare to fight the inevitable attempts by Trump to block their receipt of federal funds.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The multi-position experience, said Craft, helped prepare Mougey for an NFL scouting-and-GM career.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The shutdown’s ripple effects spread across nearly every part of the air travel network Friday, with the nation’s busiest airports hit hardest.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can't spread or cross the containment line.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
This week’s Club Sportico focuses on a series of sports betting investigations underway in college basketball, ones that could impact dozens of athletes at numerous D-I schools.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Also in this article is the game’s broadcast information, as well as betting information.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Another label, Hui Hui, creates pendants made with horse hair, which also ascribe to the nomadic trend, has secured 80 stockists in just two years, a testament to the popularity of the style.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
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The brothers ascribe some of Barb’s staying power to Purser, who was working in a movie theater when the Duffer brothers cast her.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There is no dignity, and no justice, in a system that buries an elderly woman alive in silence.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University College London have found that humans can detect objects buried in sand without directly touching them.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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