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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The organization's dogs don't just support New Yorkers on marathon day; New York Therapy Animals' fluffy volunteers spread smiles across the city's hospitals, healthcare facilities, day centers, and assisted living facilities.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025 -
Looking ahead, Westenberger said Carter’s may actually benefit from increasing costs in the year ahead, as the impact of tariffs is spread across the industry.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Chen’s Prince Group employs thousands of people and bills itself as one of the biggest conglomerates in Cambodia, with investments in luxury real estate, banking services, hotels, major construction developments, grocery stores and even luxury watches.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Set against a backdrop of ivory and sand tones, the elegant furnishings employ elevated silhouettes and textured fabrics, while the cobalt blue chef’s kitchen brings an unexpected vibrancy to the open-living layout.—
Gabriela Ulloa,
Architectural Digest,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To be safe, test the oil on a small patch of skin before applying it to larger areas of your body or your face.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
29 Oct. 2025
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Wear red sweats and apply red face makeup.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Twenty days after the trade, Kupchak stepped down from his position and transitioned into an advisory role, coinciding with the Hornets hiring former Nets executive Jeff Peterson as their new general manager.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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Brody was also joined onscreen by his wife, Leighton Meester, who played an influencer and former friend of Joanne (Kristen Bell) who hired Noah for her baby-naming ceremony.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After her mother dies, Gustav reappears and lays claim to the house, which his family has long owned.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Many of those new settlers helped lay the groundwork for Oregon's present success ‒ from Nike to tech companies like Intel, along with farming, logging and agriculture.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Herodotus recruits evidence from passages in the Iliad and the Odyssey to show that Homer himself knew at least fragments of this tale yet opted to tell another, better yarn.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Even human intelligence will follow, as visual reconnaissance teams view what is happening in other settlements or try to recruit sources who live and work there.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Robert returns to his desk only to find that Invisigal had stolen him a donut as a gesture of good faith, which is now smeared all over his keyboard for the new janitor, Water Boy, to clean by vomiting H20 on the mess.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
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Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee said the audit was purposefully designed to smear the Sheriff's Office.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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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 4 Nov. 2025.
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