Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

lay by

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of lay by

1 to get rid of as useless or unwanted

  • a politician who had laid by his principles years ago
Synonyms of lay by

cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, discard, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), exorcise (also exorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off) , throw away, throw out, toss, unload
Words Related to lay by

abandon, abdicate, desert, forsake

dismiss, kick out

abolish, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, remove, root (out), stamp (out), wipe out
Phrases Synonymous with lay by

dispose of, set aside
Near Antonyms of lay by

adopt, embrace, take on

employ, use, utilize

hold, hold back, keep, retain

2 to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place

  • ever since the last hurricane caught them unprepared, they have laid by emergency supplies
Synonyms of lay by

cache, hoard, lay away, lay in, lay up, put by, salt away, squirrel (away), stash, stockpile, store, stow, treasure
Words Related to lay by

accumulate, acquire, amass, assemble, collect, concentrate, garner, gather, pick up, round up, scrape (together)

heap, pile, stack

conserve, husband, preserve

bank, coffer, deposit, hold, keep, reserve, retain, save, set by, stock, withhold

bury, conceal, ensconce, secrete
Phrases Synonymous with lay by

set aside
Near Antonyms of lay by

cast, discard, ditch, dump, fling (off or away), jettison, throw away, throw out, unload

consume, squander, use up, waste

hand out, hand over, relinquish, surrender

blow, dissipate, fritter (away), lavish, misspend, run through, spend

deplete, exhaust, expend, impoverish

dispel, disperse, dissipate, scatter

Learn More about lay by

  1. See words that rhyme with lay by Dictionary: Definition of lay by Britannica English: Translation of lay by for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up lay by? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

nidus

a nest or breeding place

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. nebulous Lip reading, Brexit, and semantic uncertainty

  2. synergy Mueller files Cohen details.

  3. slumgullion From the broadcast of 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games