1
as in to spread
to put a layer of on a surface
she lays the butter on so thickly that you hardly taste the bagel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to employ
chiefly British
to provide with a paying job
lay on more staff for the busy tourist season in the Lake District
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay on
Verb
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Because this month’s layoffs are not confined to tech and spread across airlines, logistics, food production, healthcare, and more, the overall job market may be entering a recalibration period due to cost pressures and the rise of artificial intelligence.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026 -
Starting Wednesday, videos and posters will be plastered in subways and public spaces, spreading awareness about the negative components of what can be a disturbing encounter.—
Allen Devlin,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chalker told me that his consulting firm, Global Risk Advisors, had once employed nearly two hundred people, almost all of them former military and intelligence officers.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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His poems employ numbers significant to Dine (Navajo) thought and ways of life.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Eligible establishments would have to apply, and pay a $500 application fee.—
Nikki DeMentri,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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This also applies to bedding—trading a heavy winter-time duvet for one with a lighter material like a linen or cotton percale can be a nice refresh.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In 1958, Golestan, having just opened his own studio, hired Farrokhzad, who was already well known for boldly candid love poetry, as an assistant.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Court documents show the suspects allegedly lured a private driver, who was hired by Arnold, and his two associates to an apartment in Tampa.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As for which dinosaurs laid them, reporting suggests multiple species may be represented.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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For years, this debate between stricter codes and affordable housing festered behind the scenes, including at the obscure International Code Council, which brings together government officials, contractors, appliance makers and others to lay the groundwork for model codes.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chalker was asked to come up with a plan to recruit other scientists, and began by reading old cable traffic about how the agency had handled Soviet defectors in the John le Carré days.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Last season, the Horned Frogs emphatically arrived with Campbell’s familiar ability to recruit and push the tempo and play fierce defense, to the tune of a 34-4 record and a trip to the Elite Eight.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Clearly, the presence of sugar was no deterrent, as the dog appeared to have enthusiastically investigated the fallen bag, emerging with powdered evidence smeared across his face.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said a man hurled pages of the Quran and smeared feces on the door of the mosque.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20on. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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