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
-
Success spreads Successful small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
3 May 2026 -
Once the disease spreads to other areas of the body, however, treatment becomes much more difficult, and the five-year survival rate dips to roughly 16 percent.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Japan Airlines employs thousands of ground crew workers, highlighting the scale of the challenge.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The ruling only applies to two companies and Washington state, but the decision could prompt more legal challenges.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
This article was generated by the CA Earthquake Bot, software that analyzes structured information, such as data, and applies it to articles based on templates created by journalists in the newsroom.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Both hires require formal approval from their respective school boards, which are expected to vote in May.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
Her duties include recruiting, a new hires diversity panel and a fentanyl awareness campaign.—
Jon Regardie,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Even if a mosquito lays its eggs near moving water, the eggs likely won’t survive.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In her telling, the literature of the past lays traps into which the rich and powerful, the boorish and sadistic, inevitably stumble.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Andy recruits her as an ally, getting Emily to convince her billionaire boyfriend, Benji (Justin Theroux), to buy Runway and prevent mass layoffs.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The firm recruits tenants from the State Attorney’s Office, police and fire departments, and hospitals, and 70% of residents are civil servants, the partners say.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
In scenes where Yura remembers her childhood and its connection to the beast, the animation takes on a gauzier, more primitive style that matches the film’s more cosmic, oceanic themes.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
1 May 2026
-
Indulge in signature relaxation treatments at the spa and discover elevated takes on classic Southern dishes at Trade Root, the on-site restaurant.—
Ellie Nan Storck,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Lays on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20on. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
