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lay on

verb

Definition of lay onnext
1
as in to spread
to put a layer of on a surface she lays the butter on so thickly that you hardly taste the bagel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to employ
chiefly British to provide with a paying job lay on more staff for the busy tourist season in the Lake District

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay on
  1. spread
  2. employ
  3. apply
  4. hire
  5. lay
  6. recruit
  7. smear
Verb
  • For measles, populations need vaccination rates of 95 percent or higher to achieve herd immunity—the level of protection required to prevent disease spread.
    — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Yet the ongoing disruptions from the Iran war, which have pushed up average gas prices more than 7% from just a month ago, threaten to spread through the economy and keep broader inflation stubbornly high.
    — DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFFFROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of spread
Verb
  • Carvana employs nearly 1,000 people across North Carolina, with operations spread across several locations, including auction and reconditioning centers in Concord and Raleigh.
    — Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Around 175 workers are expected to be employed at the project’s peak construction phase.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of employ
Verb
  • Kelly opened by reminding both sides that he's required to apply case precedent.
    — JOCELYN NOVECK, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Carter reasoned that the arbitration was sufficient, Moore received a fair hearing, and the arbitrator correctly applied the relevant standard to the facts.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of apply
Verb
  • The workers’ comp rule that surprises almost everyone Most states require workers’ compensation insurance once a business hires its first employee.
    — Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • New players, new coach — Roberto De Zerbi was only hired in late March and saved the team from relegation — but the same old cultural problems?
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of hire
Verb
  • Don’t throttle the goose who lays the golden eggs, don’t blast from the skies the albatross who guarantees fair winds.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Minutes later, a second explosive-laden Shahed drone hit, laying waste to the main hub of his publishing house, Ranok, in northeastern Kharkiv.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of lay
Verb
  • Sports organizations invest hundreds of millions of dollars in recruiting children, Buckland says.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The double-blind trial recruited 24 male participants over age 45, splitting them into a placebo group and a DAZZEON group of 12 each.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of recruit
Verb
  • One prank involved Quan, Capshaw, and Harrison Ford surprising Spielberg with ice cream smeared all over their faces for one take.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Yet what follows is an extended list of ethical sins, with a focus on the sins of abusive speech, such as slandering, slurring, slighting and smearing the reputations of others.
    — Reuven Kimelman, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of smear
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

layoffs
lay on
layout
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Cite this Entry

“Lay on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20on. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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