1
as in put
to arrange something in a certain spot or position
just lay the book over there on the table for now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in settled
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid)
the rain was just hard enough to lay the dust in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in imposed
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
state officials tried to lay a tax on merchandise sold over the Internet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in prepared
to make ready in advance
she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in applied
to put a layer of on a surface
the mason laid mortar over the first row of bricks before starting the second
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in bet
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event
I'll lay five dollars that you can't do it
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in ascribed
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
an electrical fire that was laid to faulty wiring
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in buried
to place (a dead body) in the earth, a tomb, or the sea
lay the corpse to rest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of laid
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched in response to the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas’s attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and laid waste to swaths of territory.
—
Reuters, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The King, 76, met with veterans of the armed forces and laid a bouquet at the base of the memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
His consistency and leadership at Ohio State laid the foundation for his first-round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Babanikas laid the ball off to Cyrus Hanjani and Hanjani found a cutting Derek Walsh, who buried his chance from inside the box.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Archaeologist Mechael Osband said the column drums were laid along a path in the village, which intrigued excavators.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
There is trash and pollutants from the tourists and gravel has been mined from the area to make trekking routes for people, disturbing the places where females may have laid their eggs, researchers said.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Mayorga laid the groundwork for the Ecuadorian cumbia sound and musicians like Medardo Luzuriaga, who transformed the genre into a national sensation.
—NPR, 20 Oct. 2025
Ancient Origins continues that archaeologists expected to find human remains or grave goods, the absence of which communicated to researchers that the site was a cenotaph, a symbolic grave for someone who was laid to rest elsewhere.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Reuters, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The King, 76, met with veterans of the armed forces and laid a bouquet at the base of the memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
His consistency and leadership at Ohio State laid the foundation for his first-round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Babanikas laid the ball off to Cyrus Hanjani and Hanjani found a cutting Derek Walsh, who buried his chance from inside the box.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Archaeologist Mechael Osband said the column drums were laid along a path in the village, which intrigued excavators.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
There is trash and pollutants from the tourists and gravel has been mined from the area to make trekking routes for people, disturbing the places where females may have laid their eggs, researchers said.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Mayorga laid the groundwork for the Ecuadorian cumbia sound and musicians like Medardo Luzuriaga, who transformed the genre into a national sensation.
—NPR, 20 Oct. 2025
Ancient Origins continues that archaeologists expected to find human remains or grave goods, the absence of which communicated to researchers that the site was a cenotaph, a symbolic grave for someone who was laid to rest elsewhere.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laid
Verb
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China has been building the world’s largest navy, launching high-tech warships at a frenetic pace under the leadership of Xi Jinping, putting pressure on the United States and its Pacific allies to keep pace.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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In addition to Hermitage Farm, Laura Lee Brown and Wilson, who also founded the 21c Museum Hotel chain, have put more than 2,400 acres of land in agriculture conservation easements in Oldham County.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Steve Coogan has settled a libel claim over 2022’s The Lost King after a university academic sued over his depiction in the film.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Thousands of motorists across Texas were warned of potentially hazardous driving conditions as fog settled across the Lone Star state on Monday morning.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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China imposed retaliatory tariffs on US farm goods in March, effectively slamming the door shut on American soybeans before the harvest even began.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Judge Steven Denny imposed the 60-year sentence that same day.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Take a look at how his journey has prepared him to meet the moment.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Bransten recounts meeting with David and Ralph Lauren at the time, prepared with slides.—
Tharin Pillay,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But, with the loss of his income and bills pouring in, the family applied for benefits at the end of September when her husband's paychecks officially dried up.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The most obvious being that mice were used, so results can’t be directly applied to humans yet.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Ho-Chunk Nation recently filed a lawsuit against sports betting companies Kalshi and Robinhood.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Since the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting in 2018, the league has embroiled itself in a matrix of relationships with sports-betting operators, including its official partners DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Boelter’s motivation remains unclear, but investigators found a one-and-a-half-page letter, described as rambling and difficult to read, that was ascribed to him.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
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In that vacuum, Republicans have often ascribed political bias as the motivation without providing concrete evidence to back it up, said Stevenson, the debanking expert.—
Jake Pearson,
ProPublica,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the lore goes, King’s daughter’s cat was struck by a truck and buried on a hill behind the house, inspiring the plot for his 1983 novel Pet Sematary.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
23 Oct. 2025
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Then, a flash flood buried the bodies in sediment.—
Amanda Schupak,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laid. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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