as in fastens
to attach (a rope) to something so that it is secure
The climber belayed the rope.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belays
Verb
-
My favorite detail is the red ribbon on Giovanna’s right shoulder, which fastens her sleeve to her dress and floats over the darkness.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026 -
Aquazzura’s signature swirling ankle strap curves upward from the sides of the shoe and fastens the 105mm heel with a slim buckle.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Joe Rodon clips a pass over the top of the Brentford defence for Calvert-Lewin to contest.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The holder clips right to your pack or waders and keeps everything in a neat, easy-to-dispense stack.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The 11 home runs in March/April ties Paul Kornerko for the most by a White Sox player in those months.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The decision to name both cubs after rangers ties the zoo’s conservation breeding program to the front-line work of keeping Sumatran tigers alive in the wild.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Heat clinches winning record In moving to 42-39, Miami won for only the fourth time in its past 14 games and assured itself of a winning record for the 19th time in 26 seasons this century.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The victory clinches the Central Division title and secures the top seed in the Western Conference during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the comedy progresses, its buoyant tone clenches and darkens, and the plot bends and lurches, in ways that, to me, felt unnecessarily punitive toward both Haru and the audience.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As the infection takes hold, a patient’s jaw clenches, forcing the face into what appears to be a wide smile, and the back muscles contort into a painful arch.—
Mustafa Fattah,
NBC news,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Lindo laughs, clasps his hands together and raises them.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Keeping that hardshell closed is a pair of wide, beefy aluminum latches with a lower swing arm that clasps to a closure bar via a pair of hooks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
If Leonard bolts, the Clippers will look to rebuild around young point guard Darius Garland, who came to the team in the Harden trade.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
-
With that in mind, here are a few free agent options who could fit the Yankees if Bellinger bolts.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Pocket Grip also features a central hex drive that clamps a standard hex bit.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The device, which clamps onto the line just above the hook and pairs zinc and graphite in seawater, creates a small electric field about the size of a beachball around the hook, and rattles approaching sharks.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Belays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belays. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
