1
as in put
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 settled
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 imposed
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 prepared
to make ready in advance
she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in applied
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 bet
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 ascribed
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 buried
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
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Recent Examples of laid
The vivid naturalism achieved in these works was not seen for another millennium, and is often more credited to artists living during the late Middle Ages, including Cimabue and Giotto, who laid the groundwork for the Renaissance.
—
Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
An adolescent, Romito 2, was laid to rest in the arms of Romito 1, believed to be an adult female.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
The groundwork has been laid for a sunrise ceremony Monday when international woodchuck celebrity Punxsutawney Phil’s annual long-term weather forecast will be announced — six more weeks of winter or an early spring.
—Mark Scolforo, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
The bald eagle laid the pair of eggs last week.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
During the protest, demonstrators laid 52 flags with the names of the fallen outside the embassy.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
The company moved to the Bay Area in 2014 and by 2018 had developed a second version of BlackFly that laid the groundwork for Helix, the aircraft Pivotal now offers for sale.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Mayor Eric Genrich laid blame for Pretti’s death on the federal officials overseeing the controversial deployment of federal agents to the Twin Cities.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
In areas where more native trees were present, blue tits laid more eggs, laid them earlier in the year and successfully raised more chicks to fledging.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
An adolescent, Romito 2, was laid to rest in the arms of Romito 1, believed to be an adult female.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
The groundwork has been laid for a sunrise ceremony Monday when international woodchuck celebrity Punxsutawney Phil’s annual long-term weather forecast will be announced — six more weeks of winter or an early spring.
—Mark Scolforo, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
The bald eagle laid the pair of eggs last week.
—Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
During the protest, demonstrators laid 52 flags with the names of the fallen outside the embassy.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
The company moved to the Bay Area in 2014 and by 2018 had developed a second version of BlackFly that laid the groundwork for Helix, the aircraft Pivotal now offers for sale.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Mayor Eric Genrich laid blame for Pretti’s death on the federal officials overseeing the controversial deployment of federal agents to the Twin Cities.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
In areas where more native trees were present, blue tits laid more eggs, laid them earlier in the year and successfully raised more chicks to fledging.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laid
Verb
-
Rieder’s comments put him within the then-consensus among economists and even Fed officials who believed inflation would not become a persistent problem.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Collections and designers put their best foot forward, delivering high-caliber collections — some were uplifting, others were thought-provoking, most were both.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There’s no need to panic — this is very common and typically occurs when dust that has settled on the heating elements burns off.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
After their wedding, a tough reality settled in.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With the benefit of hindsight, analysts and investors have blamed much of Kraft Heinz’s downward spiral on the brutal cost-cutting strategy imposed after the merger.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has since largely overhauled GOP dogma by pushing for massive hikes in import taxes, having unilaterally imposed them last year by declaring an economic emergency.—
Josh Boak,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The announcement came as the British government prepared legislation to eject Mandelson from the House of Lords and remove the noble title, Lord Mandelson, that came with his seat in the chamber.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Besides Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother Edwin, Nadege Leblanc, a staffer for the congresswoman, is a defendant in the case, as is David Spencer, who prepared the congresswoman’s tax return for 2021.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Whether analysts value that outcome as a $10 reduction in individual risk added up across everyone, or as a $10 million value directly applied to the life saved is mathematically identical.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Almost immediately after oversight of TikTok’s US operations changed, misinformation started to spread about changes to the app’s new terms of service, including those that applied to location sharing and data collection, Fiesler said.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But don’t count on seeing ads from those online betting giants touting their prediction markets during NBC’s Super Bowl broadcast.—
A.J. Perez,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
In January 2024, after his first season, Boutte was arrested on underage gambling and fraud charges for betting while at LSU.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This can be ascribed to a revenue decrease in Q3 2025 tied to accounting modifications and a significant uptick in professional liability reserves.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The loss may be ascribed to poor judgement but with no bad intent.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Cosey has welcomed archaeological teams from Mississippi State University to her property, digging for the stories buried beneath the topsoil.—
Joe Sills,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Julian Strawther buried the Nuggets’ 10th 3-pointer of the half, and by intermission the Nets trailed 64-49.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laid. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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