1
as in to discard
to get rid of as useless or unwanted
a politician who had laid by his principles years ago
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2
as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place
ever since the last hurricane caught them unprepared, they have laid by emergency supplies
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Examples of lay by in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The north bank is lined with razor wire laid by the Texas National Guard, tangled with the torn clothing of migrants.
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Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024
In 2001, based on groundwork laid by Albright, the State Department inaugurated its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, ranking countries based on their tolerance of a crime that disproportionately victimizes women.
—Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The cuckoo catfish, found in Lake Tanganyika, the world’s longest freshwater lake located in Sub-Saharan Africa, sneaks its own eggs into clutches laid by cichlid fish.
—Ben Guarino, Popular Science, 13 June 2024
The transaction would have brought an end to the Redstone family's long stewardship of Paramount, which was built on the corporate foundation laid by her late father, entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lay by 
Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024
In 2001, based on groundwork laid by Albright, the State Department inaugurated its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, ranking countries based on their tolerance of a crime that disproportionately victimizes women.
—Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The cuckoo catfish, found in Lake Tanganyika, the world’s longest freshwater lake located in Sub-Saharan Africa, sneaks its own eggs into clutches laid by cichlid fish.
—Ben Guarino, Popular Science, 13 June 2024
The transaction would have brought an end to the Redstone family's long stewardship of Paramount, which was built on the corporate foundation laid by her late father, entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lay by
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lay by.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Lay by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20by. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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