as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place
the weather forecast warned of a severe storm, so we laid away a generous supply of bottled water and canned food just in case
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in installment plan
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay away
Tom Hyland, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021
Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
Adopted from South Korea as a baby, she was raised lovingly by parents who did their best, recalling a home where household goods were often purchased on layaway.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay away
Verb
Yet, despite the tannins, Freisa is not a wine to lay away in most examples, but rather one that should be enjoyed early on, often chilled, with soups, seafood or lighter meats.
—Tom Hyland, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021
Noun
There is also a layaway plan for single-day general admission tickets that starts at $50.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
Adopted from South Korea as a baby, she was raised lovingly by parents who did their best, recalling a home where household goods were often purchased on layaway.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay away
Verb
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We, in collaboration with our partners, store and/or access information on a user's device, including but not limited to IP addresses, unique identifiers, and browsing data stored in cookies, in order to process personal data.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
31 Oct. 2025
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This oversized bag is roomy enough to store your laptop, book, water bottle, and wallet.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Posterity on the installment plan.—
Thomas Beller,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Select members were recruited as handlers for Daedone’s wealthy boyfriend, whose massive loans to the company were apparently repaid on an installment plan of blow jobs.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The window to stash Reed has opened with the dynamic playmaker possibly returning by the end of the month, and injuries piling up on the offensive side of the ball for Green Bay.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
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These are a great place to stash in-flight essentials, and Arlo Skye’s options boast plenty of pockets to keep your passport, tech, water bottle, and other travel essentials in easy reach.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Be forewarned, though, that consumers with lower credit scores may get turned down.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Though Knowles deserves credit, and respect, for rebuilding a defense that struggled mightily in the previous two years under former coordinator Kerry Coombs, the unit doesn’t need Knowles to have success.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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While 3-4 won’t get you there, the first steps clearly lay in the coming days.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The intermittent pops of muzzle fire are drowned out as tank treads grind the asphalt down Washington Street toward the East River waterfront, where a 100-year-old carousel lays in ruin.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Adult female flies can lay up to 400 eggs at a time, and each larva in a human patient has to be physically dug out from infected flesh.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
25 Aug. 2025
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Walking up the eighteenth hole, Woad laid up into the par-5 finisher before sticking a 3/4 wedge to 2 feet to seal the tournament.—
Mike Fore,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
Verb
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Flip the script and set up an entryway for staying put by placing a comfy daybed by the door.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Oct. 2025
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Shares jumped nearly 9% on the news Friday and traded roughly 2½ times the average daily options volume, with calls outpacing puts by well over 4:1.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
21 July 2025
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20away. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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