lain

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

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2
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
Verb
  • When Meghan Markle visited Jordan this week, gone—at least temporarily—were the heels most associated with multi-day visits undertaken by the likes of Meghan, Kate Middleton, and Queen Camilla.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
  • More than 20 years after the investigation into his death began, Riverside County detectives have reopened the case that has since gone cold.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Phillips told Us Weekly there’d been the possibility of getting a kidney from her brother, Aron, but doctors ultimately turned him down.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
  • And there’ve been many times throughout filming this where Paul and I were just sort of stranded, the two of us, and that offers a huge opportunity to bond.
    Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Penn State extended its lead to 79-74 after a 15-foot jumper by McMiller.
    From wire reports, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Sanchez started with a sheer white base for this extra-long manicure and finished it with a striking silver chrome tip, extended into a delicate line design running down each nail.
    Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
  • Two of those early projects focused on fusion energy and were led by scientists from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
  • By the time the mistake was realized and the wayward runners were led back onto the race course, they had been overtaken by rest of the field.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The cabinet changes come on the heels of both a political pact, recently signed by parties with the prime minister, and the launching of the registration process for those seeking to run candidates in the next elections.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
  • In the Democratic primary, Amy Martinez-Salas, a legal assistant and UT Arlington alumna, is running uncontested.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Lain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lain. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.

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