1
as in putting
to arrange something in a certain spot or position
just lay the book over there on the table for now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in settling
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid)
the rain was just hard enough to lay the dust in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in imposing
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
state officials tried to lay a tax on merchandise sold over the Internet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in preparing
to make ready in advance
she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in spreading
to put a layer of on a surface
the mason laid mortar over the first row of bricks before starting the second
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in betting
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event
I'll lay five dollars that you can't do it
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in attributing
to explain (something) as being the result of something else
an electrical fire that was laid to faulty wiring
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in burying
to place (a dead body) in the earth, a tomb, or the sea
lay the corpse to rest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of laying
None of those species — including the echidna, the platypus’s closest egg-laying relative — showed hollow melanosomes.
—
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
Echidnas are also egg-laying mammals, but their melanosomes appear to follow the solid pattern seen across roughly 120 other mammal species examined in the research.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Nurses attended to mill workers in the infirmary, laying patients on the floor as hospital beds filled to capacity.
—Ella Whitman, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
For me, the rewards—laying the first tracks of the day, smelling the forest after a fresh rain, and making eye contact with a chipmunk—far outweigh the risks.
—Katie Jackson, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
The series’ ad nauseam repetition, its pat dialogue laying bare its themes and episode titles reaffirming those ideas, feel like a desperate, and ultimately failed, attempt to prove to us — or maybe to itself — that Imperfect Women actually has something enlightening to say.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Girl Scout Ava Duff gave a speech and led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by other speakers and a wreath-laying ceremony at the first lady’s grave site in Yorba Linda.
—Jeff Gritchen, Oc Register, 17 Mar. 2026
First, laying eggs, and now, a run-in with some wild animals was caught on camera.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actress has been laying low since giving birth last summer, albeit making a surprise appearance in a nude optical illusion corset dress that appeared to be dripping with blood at a special Jennifer’s Body event in October.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
Echidnas are also egg-laying mammals, but their melanosomes appear to follow the solid pattern seen across roughly 120 other mammal species examined in the research.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Nurses attended to mill workers in the infirmary, laying patients on the floor as hospital beds filled to capacity.
—Ella Whitman, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
For me, the rewards—laying the first tracks of the day, smelling the forest after a fresh rain, and making eye contact with a chipmunk—far outweigh the risks.
—Katie Jackson, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
The series’ ad nauseam repetition, its pat dialogue laying bare its themes and episode titles reaffirming those ideas, feel like a desperate, and ultimately failed, attempt to prove to us — or maybe to itself — that Imperfect Women actually has something enlightening to say.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Girl Scout Ava Duff gave a speech and led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by other speakers and a wreath-laying ceremony at the first lady’s grave site in Yorba Linda.
—Jeff Gritchen, Oc Register, 17 Mar. 2026
First, laying eggs, and now, a run-in with some wild animals was caught on camera.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actress has been laying low since giving birth last summer, albeit making a surprise appearance in a nude optical illusion corset dress that appeared to be dripping with blood at a special Jennifer’s Body event in October.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying
Verb
-
Republican leaders said Democrats are putting the country at risk.—
LISA MASCARO,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The King and Queen were metaphorically putting an arm around them.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Overnight, workers lined entrances to the refinery holding signs, honking horns, and settling in for around-the-clock picketing.—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Its constitution renounces the right to wage war as a means of settling such disputes.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some governments are also imposing policies to hold stocks at home and reduce exports, Wirth said.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Some states have responded by imposing flat annual registration fees on electric vehicles.—
Louis Sigaud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The whole process took barely a minute, but the actors had likely spent weeks preparing for it.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Start preparing your taxes with these options Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.—
Brian Sloan,Dan Avery,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Efforts focused on preventing the blaze from spreading to an adjacent facility and removing chemicals from the site.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Even minor sparks or drifting embers can incite nearby foliage or grass, setting off a rapidly spreading fire.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Flutter Entertainment , DraftKings — Sports-betting stocks rose following reports of a bipartisan bill expected to be introduced in the Senate Monday aiming to ban sports betting on prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket.—
Scott Schnipper,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Wing’s efforts are part of a growing campaign by popular consumer apps such as Grubhub and Uber Technologies Inc to deliver packages via drone, betting that shoppers and retailers will embrace the technology in the race for ever-faster service.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Liuying Cao of Parallax Films China says FilMart proved far more productive than the Berlin European Film Market, attributing the shift to economic conditions that are driving more Asian buyers toward regional events.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
-
And fine jewelry is currently growing on the platform at triple-digit rates, said Hsu, attributing the momentum to the intimacy and styling versatility of such pieces.—
Milena Lazazzera,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Locals flocking to the barrels Micromorphological observations and analysis showed that burying these barrels would have prevented them from freezing and would have preserved its chemical state before mixing it with sand and water, according to Heritage Daily.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Trailing 102-91, Houston unleashed a 23-7 stampede, burying the Heat under a barrage of three-pointers.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
