lay 1 of 4

1
2
as in to settle
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
4
5
as in to spread
to put a layer of on a surface the mason laid mortar over the first row of bricks before starting the second

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6
as in to 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 to ascribe
to explain (something) as being the result of something else an electrical fire that was laid to faulty wiring

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8

lay

2 of 4

noun (1)

lay

3 of 4

noun (2)

lay

4 of 4

adjective

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 lay
Verb
Being in the highest tertile (one third for the lay person) of cardio health, Bhatt said, will add close to a decade to your life. John Werner, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 The president appoints one of the lay members for a five-year term, and the remaining members serve for six-year terms. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 29 Apr. 2025 Tagle, who was also removed from his role, had been nominally president but was not involved in the day-to-day operations, which were overseen by a lay director-general. Philip Pullella, Crispian Balmer, Alvise Armellini, Joshua McElwee and Chris Scicluna, USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025 The lay community provides for monks and temples, in exchange for the spiritual currency of merit, which is believed to turn into good karma. Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay
Verb
  • Performance reviews may require a personal touch, but AI can help HR leaders put together hiring managers’ or supervisors’ feedback into a proper framework.
    Julie Hoagland, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • All that effort has put more than 1.3 million asteroids in our catalogs, but astronomers expect Rubin to identify perhaps three times that many new objects—practically without trying.
    Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • It was settled for an undisclosed amount in November 1995.
    Danielle Bacher, People.com, 1 July 2025
  • The Yellow Jackets settled for 7-6 a year ago with three of the losses to Louisville, Notre Dame and the unforgettable double-OT affair at Georgia.
    Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Trump has set a July 9 deadline for imposing reciprocal tariffs, but trade talks have run into obstacles including discussions over duties on farm goods, steel and car parts.
    Jennifer Cunningham, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
  • In early 2025, the U.S. imposed new tariffs on Canadian lumber, pushing duties as high as 35%.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Drink it in the sun to refresh while preparing, use it in your recipes to caramelize or sweeten and pair it to help your tongue handle when there’s a lot going on.
    Chelsea Davis, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • In The Old Guard 2, following on from the climax of the first film, Andy must come to terms with her newfound mortality while preparing to face a mysterious foe (played by Uma Thurman).
    Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • With the draft beginning this coming Sunday and the trade deadline at the end of the month, A.J. Preller’s closest lieutenants are in San Diego rather than spread around the country looking at big-league and amateur players.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
  • Zoning, including single-family-exclusive zoning, first spread across the US in the early 20th century (before that, development was far more freewheeling and improvised).
    Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • The attacking midfielder might be sacrificed as a starter against Bayern but don’t bet against him making a decisive contribution at some stage.
    The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • The bitcoin price has soared toward its all-time high of $112,000 per bitcoin, with traders betting a looming Federal Reserve flip will turbo-charge the crypto market.
    Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • The nation’s 2014 coup d’etat was commonly ascribed to a desire by the nation’s elites to micromanage the transition to King Vajiralongkorn.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 26 June 2025
  • The event drew filmmakers, actors, cinephiles, woodworkers, all fans who could be described in labels ascribed to Lynch himself.
    Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Where power lines are buried, flooding can also cause issues.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, every attempt to create ethical walls and accountability at PURA have been quietly buried by those who benefit from the dysfunction.
    Timothy M. Herbst, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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