belay

verb

Definition of belaynext
as in to fasten
to attach (a rope) to something so that it is secure The climber belayed the rope.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of belay The ship’s resting place deep underwater helped preserve key features, like bow clamps and belaying pins, by limiting the growth of invasive quagga mussels, as noted in the release. — Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Drinking should happen after you’re done belaying for the day. — Outside Editors, Outside Online, 3 July 2025 So the climbers who found the elk helped rig him up to belay the creature to the base of the wall, officials said. — Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2025 Born as a design concept to give climbers a shoe to wear for quick access to the crag, comfort when belaying and recovery after a climb, the Kragg fills a need. — Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for belay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belay
  1. fasten
  2. tie
  3. clip
  4. clinch
  5. pin
  6. clench
  7. strap
Verb
  • Paired with her chocolate brown booties, Camilla donned a black wool trench coat with button closures fastening the collar in place, layered over what appeared to be a cowl-neck blouse with a floral-esque pattern.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • So, fellow Chicagoans, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for the wildest, most unnerving rollercoaster ride of the four budget cycles that have comprised the city’s Brandon Johnson Experience.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fasten
Verb
  • But Ostlund scored only Buffalo’s fifth power-play goal of the season midway through the first before Thompson tied it with his sixth goal.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Offscreen, the part tied Koenig to the franchise for the rest of his career.
    — Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of tie
Verb
  • The woolly fur on his backside is tightly clipped; at his head, the fur is combed into a topknot secured with a little pink bow.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Studio secretaries clipped their columns before the morning dailies reached the lot, marking any mention of the studio’s stars with red pencil.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of clip
Verb
  • The Valkyries clinched Game 5 at home at the Chase Center on Monday night 64-55 to move within one game of the team’s first-ever WNBA title.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Morant hit midrange jumpers on consecutive possessions to put Portland up by five, and Lillard clinched the win with his fourth 3-pointer.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of clinch
Verb
  • Many symptoms can be tough to pin specifically to MS, Kurz pointed out — for instance cognitive dysfunction and fatigue are common in a lot of autoimmune conditions.
    — Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
  • There are so many over-the-top displays across the borough that locals formed a group called Staten Island Haunted Houses to pin them on a custom Google map.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of pin
Verb
  • Parents rushing to a reunification center, hearts clenched with the hope of finding their children among the survivors.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • On the second, more attentive read, my toes and fingers started to clench.
    — Andrew Lipstein, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of clench
Verb
  • Friends have babies, partners, limited vacation days, different budgets, or no desire whatsoever to strap on snowshoes in the high Arctic.
    — Chloe Frost-Smith, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps a nice little ride to strap to the back of your truck and go places?
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of strap

Browse Nearby Words

belauds
belay
belayed
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Cite this Entry

“Belay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belay. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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