as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place
be sure to lay in enough food for the long Alaska winter
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay in
For Dickinson, the greater challenge lay in finding the right tone to strike around the film’s sensitive subject matter of homelessness and mental health.
—
Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
According to scholar Nadia Margolis, the key to Christine’s success with her various projects lay in her acute awareness of existing in a men’s world with a dramatically unfair power imbalance.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 23 Sep. 2025
When Nelson got up again, almost 40 shell casings lay in the street.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
The real challenge lay in the mental aspects, the steep learning curve of a new sport.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay in
Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
According to scholar Nadia Margolis, the key to Christine’s success with her various projects lay in her acute awareness of existing in a men’s world with a dramatically unfair power imbalance.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 23 Sep. 2025
When Nelson got up again, almost 40 shell casings lay in the street.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
The real challenge lay in the mental aspects, the steep learning curve of a new sport.
—Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay in
Verb
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We, in collaboration with our partners, store and/or access information on a user's device, including but not limited to IP addresses, unique identifiers, and browsing data stored in cookies, in order to process personal data.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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All the information that Gemini is drawing upon will be culled from the roughly 250 million places stored in Google Maps’ database of reviews accumulated during the past 20 years.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The window to stash Reed has opened with the dynamic playmaker possibly returning by the end of the month, and injuries piling up on the offensive side of the ball for Green Bay.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
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These are a great place to stash in-flight essentials, and Arlo Skye’s options boast plenty of pockets to keep your passport, tech, water bottle, and other travel essentials in easy reach.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers attempts a lay up against Miles McBride #2 and Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 27, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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Adult female flies can lay up to 400 eggs at a time, and each larva in a human patient has to be physically dug out from infected flesh.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
25 Aug. 2025
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20in. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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