lain

verb

Definition of lainnext
past participle of lie
1
as in gone
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the train tracks lie just over that hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in been
to occupy a place or location I left the book lying on the counter

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in hidden
to remain out of sight paparazzi were lying in wait outside the restaurant, a well-known celebrity hangout

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lain
  1. gone
  2. been
  3. extended
  4. sat
  5. led
  6. run
Verb
  • Other sketches with her that have gone viral include Snack Homiez, Forever 31, Maybelline and the Domingo series alongside Marcello Hernandez.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 July 2026
  • As a result, tariffs have at least temporarily gone from a windfall to a drain on the Treasury.
    — Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of gone
Verb
  • How electric has the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden been during the Finals, especially during and after Game 4’s comeback?
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2026
  • Three races in, there’ve been unforeseen winners, unpredicted changes to the schedule and the unanticipated reality of regulation changes dawning.
    — Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of been
Verb
  • Routh said because of that cap, PJM found nearly $13 billion was saved in the last two auctions, and that cap is now extended at least for power through 2030.
    — Lauren Linder, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • This constitutional reform also extended the presidential term from five to six years and moved up the presidential elections to 2027.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Definition of extended
Verb
  • Levi Jones, a 33-year-old business owner, pulled up to Sacred Eye Tattoos in Hollywood last week and sat for eight hours getting a photorealistic black-and-white portrait of Mangione on his leg.
    — Amanda Rosa, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.
    — Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of sat
Verb
  • The last group is led by board president Heather Fargo, who served as mayor of Sacramento from 2000-2008.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
  • This association with high status, as well as a rudimentary analysis of the size of the bones, led archaeologists to conclude that the burial belonged to a man.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of led
Verb
  • Injuries, pitching problems, batting with runners in scoring position and base-running issues all come to mind quickly.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2026
  • The TikTok edits, the outfit identification threads, the contestant rivalries trending on X by the end of an episode, all of it turns 60 minutes of passive viewing into a multi-platform conversation that runs all week.
    — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of run
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.

Browse Nearby Words

laid up
lain
lain (down)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lain. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lain

Nglish: Translation of lain for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of obdurate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All