lay by

verb

Definition of lay bynext
1
as in to dump
to get rid of as useless or unwanted a politician who had laid by his principles years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place ever since the last hurricane caught them unprepared, they have laid by emergency supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay by
  1. dump
  2. store
  3. discard
  4. lay in
  5. ditch
  6. stash
  7. unload
  8. lay up
Verb
  • By the time Warners dumped it into theaters, however, too many bad feelings had accumulated between the executives and Ferrara for anyone to have much incentive to make the picture a success.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Auger-Aliassime was moving lethargically, not showing a lot of energy, dumping water on his head during changeovers to cool down.
    — Lukas Weese, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of dump
Verb
  • The default time for storing images before deletion, currently 30 days, will drop to a week.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The tapestry had actually been taken down, rolled up and stored in the basement for the past couple of years as Paul Stuart sought to attract a younger customer.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of store
Verb
  • By then, however, the pastries could no longer be sold and had to be discarded, Pierre told the Sun Sentinel.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Process signals locally, trigger an action and then discard the raw data.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of discard
Verb
  • The aroma filled my nostrils, fighting the overpowering perfume of the flowers that lay in a vivid blanket of color around the gaping grave.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Those are solid efficiency metrics, but even more value lay in how that time was reinvested.
    — Ganesh Shankar, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of lay in
Verb
  • My grandmother was from Mexican aristocracy, and her passion drove her to ditch her fiancé at the altar to marry my gringo grandad across the border.
    — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The show’s designer, Nolan Miller, lobbied hard for Hack, whose casting offered him a chance to ditch Jackson’s turtleneck-and-jeans sensibility for high fashion.
    — Michael Callahan, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of ditch
Verb
  • Shoes have a reputation for being clunky and not ideal for packing, but these lightweight, flexible flats can be stashed in a carry-on or weekender bag with no trouble.
    — Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This on-trend puffy crossbody is compact enough for comfort, yet spacious enough to stash your wallet, phone, a book or two, and even an iPad.
    — Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stash
Verb
  • And right now owners buy teams to keep, not to unload and make a quick profit.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Engineers must shut down critical plant systems and unload the fuel from the reactor core.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of unload
Verb
  • Mayflies lay up to 10,000 eggs in the water, and their nymphs can't survive in water that is polluted.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
  • Female wasps can lay up to 200 eggs a day as long as a host insect is available.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Definition of lay up
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

lay back
lay by
lay down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lay by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20by. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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