lie with

verb

lay with; lain with; lying with; lies with

1

—used to say who has the blame or responsibility for something

Responsibility for the accident lies with the company.

2

literary : to have sex with (someone)

when he first lay with her

Examples of lie with in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a brief, however, Suncor and Exxon argue that management of interstate and international greenhouse gas emissions lies with the federal government, not with the states. — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

The future of Serra’s art lay with the plates and, eventually, slabs and forged blocks and rounds of steel that activate the relation of the body to actual space, including outdoor sites both urban and on the land. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Explosive running back room The strength of the Knights’ offense lies with their rushing attack led by Louisville transfer Duke Watson. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026

Neutron stars and white dwarfs are both born when stars run out of the fuel supplies needed for nuclear fusion happening in their cores, but the difference between the two lies with their masses. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.