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lay on

verb

Definition of lay onnext
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

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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
  1. spread
  2. employ
  3. apply
  4. hire
  5. lay
  6. recruit
  7. smear
Verb
  • For measles, populations need vaccination rates of 95 percent or higher to achieve herd immunity—the level of protection required to prevent disease spread.
    — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Yet the ongoing disruptions from the Iran war, which have pushed up average gas prices more than 7% from just a month ago, threaten to spread through the economy and keep broader inflation stubbornly high.
    — DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFFFROM WIRE REPORTS, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of spread
Verb
  • Carvana employs nearly 1,000 people across North Carolina, with operations spread across several locations, including auction and reconditioning centers in Concord and Raleigh.
    — Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Around 175 workers are expected to be employed at the project’s peak construction phase.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of employ
Verb
  • Because the case was filed as a class action lawsuit, if a judge sides with the plaintiffs, that decision will apply not just to the 17 scientist plaintiffs, but to any researcher whose work has been affected by the term searches.
    — Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In 2025, 101,900 people applied for asylum in the UK, the third-highest number ever recorded in a calendar year, according to government figures.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of apply
Verb
  • La Strada had served for 14 years as the Pettis County clerk, overseeing local elections, when Hoskins hired him as the state's election integrity director in January 2025.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • For employers that want to move directly from matching to interviewing, ZipIntro uses AI to identify candidates who may fit a role and helps connect them with a hiring manager for an interview without leaving the ZipRecruiter platform.
    — Audrey Payne, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of hire
Verb
  • Xi now plans to follow his state visit to Washington with a major party meeting to lay the groundwork for his fourth five-year term, which will start next year.
    — Jonathan A. Czin, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
  • As ontology and context layers of infrastructure and inference become more standardized, business leaders can respond and prepare by beginning the process of laying a strong foundation of data and governance.
    — Pratik Bhadra, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of lay
Verb
  • The Republican National Committee said it's already recruited a record number of poll watchers.
    — NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • According to sources in the club’s youth system, Madrid’s scouting operation has become more aggressive, allowing the club to recruit some of the best young domestic talent in recent years.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of recruit
Verb
  • The bombshell discovery in the little red dot spectra was that the colors of hydrogen were smeared out across multiple shades.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
  • People have gone from smearing the compound on their faces to using injections, in hopes of achieving firmer, wrinkle-free skin and other anti-aging benefits.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of smear
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

layoffs
lay on
layout
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Cite this Entry

“Lay on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20on. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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