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
  • Brie dumped Jacy Jayne to the outside and mocked Nikki Bella’s dance.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Overwhelmed fans reported blacking out at the Eras Tour, all memories of the night dumped.
    — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of dump
Verb
  • What stopped it was the absence of SKU-level data, the item-by-item detail that shows what was in the basket rather than which store the basket came from.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • One of his colleagues suggested buying one instead and storing it in a warehouse used by Goodall’s fruit and vegetable business.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of store
Verb
  • Russia’s answer to the Artemis program is to develop its own Russian Orbital Station, using modules from the International Space Station after it has been discarded, which would act as a gateway for lunar exploration.
    — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026
  • The Secret Service’s actual procedures turn out to be more like guidelines that can be discarded if the president is sufficiently angry—which, from the standpoint of safeguarding democracy, constitutes a fairly concerning loophole.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of discard
Verb
  • The walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins – broken down, exposed, and vulnerable.
    — Liesl Ehmke, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
  • The victim lay in a pool of his own blood for more than two hours before being found by another deputy.
    — Seamus Bozeman Follow, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of lay in
Verb
  • This buttery-soft basic is worth ditching your frumpy tees for.
    — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The pressure is rising on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ditch a World Cup privatization plan that could draw investments up to $20 billion, but which has drawn widespread condemnation from most of soccer's worldwide governing bodies.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of ditch
Verb
  • More officers were stashed throughout the dim warehouse, and still more waited miles down the road for the signal.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026
  • Bring plenty of water, personal flotation devices, and a dry bag to stash valuables, too.
    — Pam LeBlanc, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
Definition of stash
Verb
  • The leaders helped unload the stock while promoting a public narrative of growth, the outlet reported.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
  • Continue reading … DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ — Who unloaded on Sophie Cunningham fans?
    — , FOXNews.com, 31 July 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 4 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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