lay an egg

phrase

Synonyms of lay an eggnext
: to fail or blunder especially embarrassingly
The professor tried to be funny, but he laid an egg.

Examples of lay an egg in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Same with the Jets, who simply could not go down to Nashville and lay an egg the size of a bowling ball against their former coach, Robert Saleh. — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lay an egg was in 1928

Rhymes for lay an egg

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Browse Nearby Words

lay analyst
lay an egg
Layard
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Cite this Entry

“Lay an egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lay%20an%20egg. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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