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
  • On the rocks below, instructors help complete beginners fasten their harnesses, chalk their hands and search for the next hold on the granite wall.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • Pz’ spends much of his proper debut, No Turning Back, equally baffled by his good fortune and ready to fasten it to his side with a Gucci strap before anyone else can take it.
    — Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 3 July 2026
Definition of fasten
Verb
  • The game remained tied after regulation and headed to extra time, when Bellingham, once again, came to the rescue for the Three Lions.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 July 2026
  • After Ohtani hit his 21st homer of the season, Andy Pages hit a tying 419-foot blast to left-center for his 17th homer.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of tie
Verb
  • Walk the rows, clip your favorites and take home a custom bouquet.
    — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
  • Teams can clip plays and submit them for review, but multiple sources told The Athletic that the system suffers from delays and produces little noticeable improvement from game to game.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of clip
Verb
  • If that weren’t enough, after Toronto made a hoop, Salaun drilled another triple to clinch the win, putting her thumb and two fingers in the air on her way back down the court.
    — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • The Red Sox have a chance to clinch their second straight series victory with another win over Chicago on Wednesday.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of clinch
Verb
  • Reconstructing the truth decades after the fact, needless to say, is even harder than trying to pin it down in the moment.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
  • Look at Chegg, which had no buyout and no leverage to pin it on.
    — Alex Lazarow, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of pin
Verb
  • At the final whistle, Mbappe clenched his fists and appeared to look the other way as Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gill sought a handshake.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • The White House Key Facts A rendering of the passport shared by the White House on Friday shows Trump presumably leaning over the Resolute Desk, fists clenched, alongside his signature and text from the Declaration of Independence.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of clench
Verb
  • Outside Delhi, a 32-year-old garment maker identified as Lalita says her factory now requires everyone to strap a GoPro camera to their heads at the start of each shift.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 1 July 2026
  • Invisible hands strap her legs onto the stirrups, an iron fist plunging her through a tunneling, gravity‑bending, black underground.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 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 13 Jul. 2026.

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