lay by

verb

Definition of lay bynext
1
as in to dump
to get rid of as useless or unwanted a politician who had laid by his principles years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to store
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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay by
  1. dump
  2. store
  3. discard
  4. lay in
  5. ditch
  6. stash
  7. unload
  8. lay up
Verb
  • Spain deployed 2,600 firefighters, police and other emergency personnel to two blazes west of Madrid, backed by 19 water-dumping aircraft and helicopters.
    — Mark Carlson, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • The audience is able to vote on who gets dumped from the island based on which couples are most compatible, including choosing the winning couple that ultimately gets awarded $100,000.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of dump
Verb
  • What stopped it was the absence of SKU-level data, the item-by-item detail that shows what was in the basket rather than which store the basket came from.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • One of his colleagues suggested buying one instead and storing it in a warehouse used by Goodall’s fruit and vegetable business.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of store
Verb
  • But more typical are quality-of-life complaints from riders who report people drinking or getting high at stations or discarding bags of fast food debris on platforms.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
  • Dogs are also very susceptible to a condition called pancreatitis, which can follow consumption of fatty foods (like discarded fast foods).
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2026
Definition of discard
Verb
  • The walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins – broken down, exposed, and vulnerable.
    — Liesl Ehmke, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
  • The victim lay in a pool of his own blood for more than two hours before being found by another deputy.
    — Seamus Bozeman Follow, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of lay in
Verb
  • Maryam ditched her summer plans of working and studying in Kansas City for trying out with the Egyptian national team in Cairo.
    — PJ Green July 24, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
  • Transit, however, is immensely safer than driving, so people who ditch a bus or subway ride for a robotaxi may increase their own risk.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 24 July 2026
Definition of ditch
Verb
  • More officers were stashed throughout the dim warehouse, and still more waited miles down the road for the signal.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026
  • Bring plenty of water, personal flotation devices, and a dry bag to stash valuables, too.
    — Pam LeBlanc, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
Definition of stash
Verb
  • The month-long voyage would involve picking up oil from either Saudi Arabia or Iraq and unloading it in the Gulf of Oman.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 24 July 2026
  • The team that has looked mostly hapless at the plate the last two months unloaded eight singles, seven home runs, four doubles, two walks and, on Christmas In July Night at Progressive Field, a partridge in a pear tree.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of unload
Verb
  • Mayflies lay up to 10,000 eggs in the water, and their nymphs can't survive in water that is polluted.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
  • Female wasps can lay up to 200 eggs a day as long as a host insect is available.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Definition of lay up
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

lay back
lay by
lay down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lay by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20by. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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