1
as in puts
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
3
as in imposes
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 prepares
to make ready in advance
she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in applies
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
7
as in ascribes
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 buries
to place (a dead body) in the earth, a tomb, or the sea
lay the corpse to rest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in ballads
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment
she sang a short lay in dedication to her husband
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in works
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
my main lay is as a general contractor, but I do side work as a carpenter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lays
New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2025
Overnight, crews will build hose lays along fire breaks and reinforce lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Most of the smashing is done by Tamburlaine, a Scythian shepherd by birth, who rises to the peaks of power, lays waste to one kingdom after another, and has the temerity, at the climax of Part 1, not to die.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Giants head coach Brian Daboll has already said that Wilson will likely be starting against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, but if Wilson lays another egg, the Dart noise will get louder and louder.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Every nesting season, thousands of females dig holes on the seashore with their flippers, and each one lays dozens of eggs inside.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
That sobering number lays bare the fundamental flaw in our current digital security infrastructure.
—Rhon Daguro, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Advocating for social and economic justice, this documentary lays the groundwork for the next generation of media activists.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
As the architect of hell, Kuang lays the landscape out in great detail, from vast dunes to skeletal animals made only of bones held together with chalk.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
Paired with adaptive dampers, this hardware enables advanced driver-assistance features and lays the groundwork for future updates.
—New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2025
Overnight, crews will build hose lays along fire breaks and reinforce lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Most of the smashing is done by Tamburlaine, a Scythian shepherd by birth, who rises to the peaks of power, lays waste to one kingdom after another, and has the temerity, at the climax of Part 1, not to die.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Giants head coach Brian Daboll has already said that Wilson will likely be starting against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, but if Wilson lays another egg, the Dart noise will get louder and louder.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Every nesting season, thousands of females dig holes on the seashore with their flippers, and each one lays dozens of eggs inside.
—Diaa Hadid, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
That sobering number lays bare the fundamental flaw in our current digital security infrastructure.
—Rhon Daguro, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Advocating for social and economic justice, this documentary lays the groundwork for the next generation of media activists.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
As the architect of hell, Kuang lays the landscape out in great detail, from vast dunes to skeletal animals made only of bones held together with chalk.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays
Verb
-
This spending puts them in the same ballpark as Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City, but is still shy of Chelsea, who have spent more than £2bn in the same period, although their net spend will be much lower than that figure given their success at selling players.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Jaime Zehner, founder and principal designer of JZ Interiors, puts a Cali cool twist on traditional style.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When the smoke settles (quite literally) and people return, their bodies suffer the consequences, and our hospitals have the evidence.—
Lahari Vuppaladhadiam,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
That settles into a spicy suede with cardamom and benzoin, before warming into tonka bean, amber, and musk.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Guns rights advocates — including politically powerful groups such as the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America — vowed to fight any proposal that imposes a blanket gun ban targeting a segment of the population.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
-
At that wavelength, optics imposes a hard requirement.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stadler prepares apprentices for a career, not a job.—
Andy Tonsing,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Fort Lauderdale residents could see a temporary change in the color of their tap water beginning Monday as the city prepares its water treatment system for a major upgrade, officials said.—
Sergio Candido,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Advocate for flexibility The same principle applies to flexible work environments, which reduce fatigue and burnout for caregivers and noncaregivers alike.—
Colleen Tolan,
The Conversation,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The program, at least for now, only applies to providers and patients in New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Washington, according to Axios.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This breakup analysis ascribes no value to the companies being under the same corporate parent.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But Isaac catches Thing’s dart, then reattaches Thing to his arm and buries Wednesday alive.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The aforementioned eyeball alien buries itself deep into its prey before popping out and skittering along the floor like the world’s loudest spider.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
DaCosta situates the story in 1954 but infuses it with her modern sensibility, shaping a lush, volatile portrait of womanhood, longing, and consequence.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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