1
as in to 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
3
as in to impose
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 to prepare
to make ready in advance
she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
7
as in to ascribe
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 to bury
to place (a dead body) in the earth, a tomb, or the sea
lay the corpse to rest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in ballad
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment
she sang a short lay in dedication to her husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in work
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
my main lay is as a general contractor, but I do side work as a carpenter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in godless
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of lay
Carmel Dagan, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
This would be the easiest part of the job to lay aside.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
The meaning is not something that a lay person can necessarily intuit.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay
Verb
Her final wish is to be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery, but after more than 15 years of fighting Parkinson’s, her finances are exhausted.
—Carmel Dagan, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
This would be the easiest part of the job to lay aside.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Delbarton publicly acknowledged in 2018 that at least 30 men had come forward with allegations that, over three decades, 13 past or current priests and monks at the school had victimized them — in addition to a lay faculty member who is now retired.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025
The meaning is not something that a lay person can necessarily intuit.
—John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay
Verb
-
Pope hit a monster triple from the corner put the Horns up 75-68 with 1 minute, 29 seconds left and after Vokietaitis final miss, Mark calmly sunk four straight throws down the stretch to keep the Horns in the tournament.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Rubio’s more traditional, interventionist posture has put him front and center on issues such as Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba, while Vance has in the past been more closely associated with the party’s noninterventionist wing.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the overnight speculative panic from a fortnight ago that shot oil prices across the board to nearly $120 per barrel in the early premarket trading hours of March 9, oil prices quickly settled back down to $100.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
After admittedly chasing stats, which led to some early-season struggles, Simmons settled into the defensive end possession and blossomed into one of the SEC’s most prolific sack masters.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
African governments are imposing restrictions on online betting amid growing fears of a rise in gambling addiction on the continent.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The difference between a real deadline, imposed for legitimate reasons from without, and a fake one, conjured from within, is like the difference between eating brunch and seeing it on Instagram.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Shah, who wished to prepare Reza for his future role, believed that he should be tutored by tough military figures and immersed in Iranian society.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Restaurants that prepare food in-house likely have more variation in calorie counts than, say, a protein bar.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The attack spread fear and alarm through Britain's Jewish community.—
KRUTIKA PATHI,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The other villagers — mostly women and children — sit just beyond the sandbag perimeter, under the shade of some trees, spreading more cassava on bamboo trays in preparation for drying.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Silicon Valley is betting big on longevity.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Before the war, traders were betting heavily that the Fed would cut rates at least twice this year.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Economists generally have calculated that whatever economic growth could be ascribed to the change would be washed out by the revenue loss from inflation-indexing only new purchases, and utterly swamped by the cost of indexing all holdings, past and future.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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And to dust off some golden-oldie phraseology that fans, friends and media often ascribe to great athletes who’ve made epic falls, Ilia Malinin will be back.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trailing 102-91, Houston unleashed a 23-7 stampede, burying the Heat under a barrage of three-pointers.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The senior buried a header into the net for the only score of the game.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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