as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place
an eating disorder that would impel her to lay up candy bars in her closet for all-night food binges
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay up
Their ability to reproduce — a female can lay up to 2,500 eggs on a single animal — can worsen the situation.
—
Addy Bink, The Hill, 21 Sep. 2025
Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers attempts a lay up against Miles McBride #2 and Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 27, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Adult female flies can lay up to 400 eggs at a time, and each larva in a human patient has to be physically dug out from infected flesh.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025
Now, researchers are discovering more in the Rio Grande Valley, where the crayfish are breeding rapidly, with each female capable of laying up to 5,000 eggs annually.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Addy Bink, The Hill, 21 Sep. 2025
Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers attempts a lay up against Miles McBride #2 and Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 27, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Adult female flies can lay up to 400 eggs at a time, and each larva in a human patient has to be physically dug out from infected flesh.
—Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025
Now, researchers are discovering more in the Rio Grande Valley, where the crayfish are breeding rapidly, with each female capable of laying up to 5,000 eggs annually.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay up
Verb
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Rather than storing all of your cleaning supplies in one central cabinet, use a caddy to keep some cleaning supplies and tools in each bathroom.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Jan. 2026
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Instead of storing the marbles from your childhood in a bin in your closet, put them in a jar on your bookshelf.—
Tessa Cooper,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another affinity between the Romanians and the Iraqis lay in the fact that both knew the difficulties of living under a dictatorship.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
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Everyone knew what future lay in store for the bottom 10 percent.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Best to keep backups of all of that data stashed, cached, and out of harm’s way—and space makes an ideal safe deposit box.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
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Various zippered pockets inside the front flap are great for stashing smaller essentials, and a front pocket can fit a 13-inch laptop.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20up. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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