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
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
She's unhappily laid up right now after a hit and run car accident near her Cranston home.
—Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lay up
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
She's unhappily laid up right now after a hit and run car accident near her Cranston home.
—Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay up
Verb
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Multiple items of evidence were also stored incorrectly—including Tate’s phone, which was left lying around the station while the case stalled.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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By storing more energy within the same weight, future semi-solid-state batteries could help increase vehicle range without requiring larger battery packs.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Verb
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On Saturday morning, those hopes lay in tatters.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
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Police now say that a former boyfriend, 47-year-old Juan Marquez of Hawthorne, lay in wait near her workplace, described on air as Families Together of Orange County.—
Jeff Horseman,
Oc Register,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Keeping a microfiber cloth handy or stashing disinfecting wipes under the sink makes this a fast, almost effortless ritual.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 June 2026
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Nearby, the Rum Vault is a small room stashed with bottles and bottles of the spirit, arranged like a library according to the producing region.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 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 10 Jun. 2026.
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