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
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The pop-up was announced by only one social media post, but word spread.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026 -
Four bedrooms and five bathrooms are spread across roughly 6,200 square feet, where a floating glass staircase connects two switchback-style levels.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Although subsequent work employed modern technology — from digital modeling software to industrial robots — an underlying rationale endured.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
The two systems, however, employ different interception methods.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Sacramento consistently ranks among the most diverse cities in the country, and that applies across all stripes.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
-
Organizations are just choosing not to apply them when speed is on the line.—
Art Gilliland,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Onboarding Volume Industrial expansion in agro-processing and light manufacturing often means hiring in large batches, quickly and in locations where HR infrastructure is still developing.—
Alex Daruty,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Houston also wants the council to hold direct authority over the city administrator, who is hired by the mayor to run Oakland’s daily operations and oversee staff.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Total football remade soccer worldwide by emphasizing movement and pressure on the ball and the interchangeability of positions, laying the groundwork for the modern incarnation of the sport.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens
June 8,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
And Republican lawmakers have refused to vote to fund the construction of a ballroom at the White House that has already laid waste to the East Wing and, if completed, would dwarf the landmark residence.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Likewise, Tri-City has already begun using its powers as a public health care district to recruit additional obstetricians to the area.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
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In August 1953, after sponsoring internal destabilization campaigns, the CIA and MI6 recruited a group of army officers to bring down Mossadegh.—
Andrew Arsan,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Over in the next aisle, Gifty Anderson, who typically buys bales from Canada and the United Kingdom, held up a dress smeared with body makeup and tossed it aside without a second thought.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
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This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
5 June 2026
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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 13 Jun. 2026.
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