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
Relevance
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
Verb
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Vaccination is crucial to preventing the spread of measles, but the WHO says 95% of the population has to be vaccinated in order to stop the disease from spreading.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026 -
The people arrested in Colorado came from more than 80 countries spread across five continents.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, movies are workplaces, and Nirenberg’s interviewees reveal the stressful negotiations involved in the daily life of filmmaking—not only with executives and producers but also with directors, who, though employed by those very same businesspeople, are also the immediate bosses of the crew.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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The company soon employed nearly 1,000 workers, but frosts and finally the hurricane of 1926 killed the sugar crops and drove the company away.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That means many rules of the road for cars also apply to equines.—
Nick Sullivan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of making the case that a city’s environmental review was inadequate, residents will now be more often forced to argue that CEQA even applies at all.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nick Serrano, Gloria’s deputy chief of staff, says there has also been a concerted effort by the administration to discourage department heads from hiring program managers and program coordinators unless absolutely necessary.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Director Paul Feig's take on the story of a live-in maid hired to work for a wealthy family with a big secret has earned $400 million globally at the box office.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To lay asphalt, contractors need warmer temperatures, and a final layer wasn’t put down in time for the cold winter season, when asphalt plants close, Brown said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
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Even before his diplomatic career officially ended, Arveláiz had begun laying the groundwork for a second act.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cantens, who has coaching experience in Germany and the Dominican Republic, has had success recruiting internationally.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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Dintaman and Nolan then recruited Johnson to pose as the victim in person at the state's Department of Treasury's Unclaimed Property Office to get a second copy of the check.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Traynere said after the hearing the issues were all about politics and an attempt to smear her.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose term featured record numbers of disappearances and homicides, complained that political adversaries were exaggerating the problem to smear his reputation and legacy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20on. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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