lie on/upon

phrasal verb

lay on/upon; lain on/upon; lying on/upon; lies on/upon

: to affect (someone) in a specified way

Sorrow lay heavily on him.

Guilt lies on his conscience.

She keeps herself healthy so her years lie lightly upon her.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Both deputies shouted at Talavera, who was in the street about three car lengths away, to lie on the ground. —

Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2023 The clothes, while chill enough for guests to lie on a Loewe bean bag chair in the grass, stunned in the glowing light of the summer soirée. —

Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2023 To view a meteor shower without a telescope, stargazers are advised to find a dark sky, lie on their back and look up at the sky. —

Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 4 May 2023 At the third house, a person inside gave him instructions to raise his arms and lie on the ground. —

Melissa Chan, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2023 Richard Terry, Sabrina’s defense attorney, argued that Hearn’s plea deal gave him an incentive to lie on the stand. —

Amanda Karrh, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2023 Experts typically recommend that back sleepers and stomach sleepers lie on a firmer, more responsive mattress than most foam beds tend to be. —

Sara Coughlin, SELF, 13 Mar. 2023 Even after the school went on record multiple times confirming that Daniel Lee (Tablo’s birth name) had indeed accomplished all of the above, TaJinYo members continued to spread inflammatory rumors claiming falsely that Tablo had paid off the esteemed university to lie on his behalf. —

Jae-ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2023 The kitchen table would be cleared and covered with linen for the patient to lie on. —

Justin Beal, Harper’s Magazine , 12 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie on/upon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.