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
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
Production came later, in 2014, when he was laid up in bed for three months with an illness.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 13 June 2025
Both players once again laid up and were each lucky to even par the hole.
—Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 2025
Female cicadas can lay up to 600 eggs, inserting them into the branches of trees and shrubs with their ovipositor (egg-laying organ), according to the University of Massachusetts.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Production came later, in 2014, when he was laid up in bed for three months with an illness.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 13 June 2025
Both players once again laid up and were each lucky to even par the hole.
—Kendall Capps, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 June 2025
Female cicadas can lay up to 600 eggs, inserting them into the branches of trees and shrubs with their ovipositor (egg-laying organ), according to the University of Massachusetts.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay up
Verb
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The acting head of DOE’s environmental program was fired in early September, prompting speculation that the agency was trying to shift toward storing the waste by mixing it with a cement-like substance called grout, reported Science.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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Ice is often taken for granted today, but the ability to both store and keep frozen water signified immense influence and privilege in ancient cultures.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Liverpool’s pursuit of Champions League qualification lay in tatters.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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For Dickinson, the greater challenge lay in finding the right tone to strike around the film’s sensitive subject matter of homelessness and mental health.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Or go on the opposite side of the design spectrum and wake up your coffee party with an Anut Cairo Circus jar—a perfect place to stash sugar cubes.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
15 Oct. 2025
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The hoard includes some unusual coins and tells a story about the time when it was carefully stashed away.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
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 20 Oct. 2025.
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