1
as in spreads
to put a layer of on a surface
she lays the butter on so thickly that you hardly taste the bagel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in employs
chiefly British
to provide with a paying job
lay on more staff for the busy tourist season in the Lake District
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays on
Verb
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Unfortunately, the striking shrub spreads by roots and seeds, overtaking native plants.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026 -
The disease spreads through coughing or sneezing with respiratory droplets containing bacteria.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One alderman who employs pension-eligible part-time staffers showed the Tribune ward expense reports from 2024 and 2025 that did not account for their pension costs.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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At every major-league park, the league employs a Ball-Out-Strike System (BOSS) operator who is responsible for ensuring the correct strike zone is used for each hitter – as opposed to say, the 5-foot-11 Trent Grisham getting stuck with the zone of the 6-7 Aaron Judge.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The $5 discount for prepaid bags still applies.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to broadcast television.—
Joe Reedy,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Olathe Schools normally hires around 200 certified/licensed staff per year.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
After all, Broidy’s private intelligence company, Circinus, hires the same kinds of former spies and commandos that Chalker’s once did.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Here, a light blue base lays underneath bright blue French tips.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
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Their first conversation is comically lopsided, and McKellen, purring his way through what is effectively a monologue, lays the groundwork for his most vividly inhabited and hilariously irascible performance in years.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Marine recruits jog at Parris Island on Thursday.—
Betsy Badell,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The three-year-old startup, which is valued at $10 billion, recruits experts in fields ranging from medicine to law to literature, to help provide data that improves the capabilities of AI models.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
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The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney+) Lunella Lafayette (voiced by Diamond White), a genius teen and protector of her New York City neighborhood, takes on the challenges of superhero life alongside her massive partner, Devil Dinosaur (Fred Tatasciore).—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
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The 11-year-old takes on five rivals in the $50,000 stakes, the first of four races on the card.—
Sean Clancy,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lays on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20on. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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