lays an egg

phrase

present tense third-person singular of lay an egg
1
as in trips
to make a mistake His book report was going perfectly until he laid an egg and got the main character's name wrong.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in fails
to be unsuccessful The gymnast nailed perfect landings on her first two vaults but really laid an egg on the third.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays an egg
  1. drops the ball
  2. falls short
  3. falls flat
Phrase
  • Cruz James had Torrey Scott wide open at the 20 yard line and Scott drops the ball on what could’ve been a touchdown.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Furious drops the ball a bit in the interactions with Emma and Jay Easton, turning them into one-dimensional caricatures instead of complex villains, but honestly, this show isn’t really about them.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of drops the ball
Phrase
  • Under the terms of its settlement agreement, if Paramount falls short of its annual quotas, it’ll be fined $30 million per film, 90% of which will be paid out to film workers and 10% to the National Association of Attorneys General.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • When performance falls short, our instinct is often to add more training, information, oversight, processes or competency development.
    — Dr Natalie Callis, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of falls short
Phrase
  • But the fantasy-death quiz falls flat and feels more like a second defeat than a comedy tag.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Even the most beautiful design falls flat without function; true luxury lies in the way things move, open, and align.
    — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of falls flat
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.

Browse Nearby Words

lays
lays an egg
lays away
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lays an egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20an%20egg. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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