1
as in to spread
to put a layer of on a surface
she lays the butter on so thickly that you hardly taste the bagel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to employ
chiefly British
to provide with a paying job
lay on more staff for the busy tourist season in the Lake District
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay on
Verb
-
Advertisement That has helped save tens of millions of lives, contributed to a reduction by half of mortality rates of children under five, put developing countries on a better economic trajectory, and substantially reduced the chances that infectious diseases emerge and spread.—
Dr. Seth Berkley,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025 -
Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
VistaVision was designed as a competitor to 20th Century Fox’s CinemaScope, which employed an anamorphic lens to compress a widescreen image onto standard 35mm film stock.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
-
But federal data shows that in Florida, universities, colleges and schools in the state employ thousands of workers on H-1B visas.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Currently, the federal government is not accepting new applications for the program because of federal court rulings, though individuals already in the program may apply for renewals.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Alibaba said it could be applied in areas such as smart glasses and intelligent cockpits.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While talent and hard work opened doors, Nayyar turned to a personal tactic that his father taught him, to make a lasting impression on hiring managers—or in his case, casting directors, producers, and Hollywood stars.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
-
But he was hired by the Yankees in 1949 and immediately led them to five straight World Series championships — a record that almost certainly never will be broken and launched him toward tying Joe McCarthy for the most in baseball history with seven.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Right-back Kayode then laid the ball off to midfield colleague Yehor Yarmolyuk, who flighted a pass down the right channel between Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, two of United’s back three.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The shooting in Columbia laid bare simmering disputes across the country over gun violence at or near college campuses, major travel destinations for fans, alumni and parents of students.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Organizations like Meta have shelled out billions of dollars to recruit top AI talent in an effort to try and gain an edge.—
Ashley Capoot,Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
-
With more than a dozen groups already in the mix, Berman said the shift should give bidders room to recruit, secure infrastructure investment, and set themselves up for a stronger launch.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After smearing Tylenol, the president's unscripted remarks quickly veered into an incoherent rant linking vaccines to autism as well.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Mash it up, smear it on toast, toss it in a salad, or eat it straight.—
Claire Bugos,
Verywell Health,
17 Sep. 2025
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.
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20on. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share