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
On the 12-foot canvas, my eye went to the place out of focus: the thin strip of billboard in the background featuring a young woman with sand-dune hips, patent knee-high boots and long black hair laid up on her side, wearing cat ears and a tiger bodysuit as flush as second skin.
—
Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
McIlroy twice made birdie on the par 5s after laying up from the trees.
—Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
Summit's Javon Ross (33) lays up a ball as Lovejoy's Maddox Johnson (2) defends in the second half of a high school basketball game, Class 5A Division II state semifinal, at SUM’s Moody Coliseum, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in University Park.
—Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Comedian Mike Epps had some encouraging words for a teen laid up in the hospital after being shot three times over the weekend.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
McIlroy twice made birdie on the par 5s after laying up from the trees.
—Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
Summit's Javon Ross (33) lays up a ball as Lovejoy's Maddox Johnson (2) defends in the second half of a high school basketball game, Class 5A Division II state semifinal, at SUM’s Moody Coliseum, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in University Park.
—Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Comedian Mike Epps had some encouraging words for a teen laid up in the hospital after being shot three times over the weekend.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay up
Verb
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In this case, the move is less risky since systems running consumer chips are less likely to store data that’s valuable enough to motivate a sophisticated physical attack.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
22 June 2026
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The kidneys and glands, such as the parathyroid glands, produce hormones such as parathyroid hormone and vitamin D that act as signals to tell bone when to release calcium and phosphate into the bloodstream and when to store them.—
Priya Bhardwaj,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Verb
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The source of Soloviev’s angst lay in part in growing up with a father who was one of the more imposing, cantankerous figures in the history of New York real estate — a demographic with stiff competition.—
Reeves Wiedeman,
Curbed,
22 June 2026
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Perhaps the answer lay in what Harris did say.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Verb
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When security turns them away at the gate, some fans are stashing their bags nearby — apparently planning to grab them later — and that’s creating a real headache for law enforcement, according to The Star.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
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That said, there’s also an outer zipper pocket to stash earbuds or a small wallet.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
20 June 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 25 Jun. 2026.
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