1
as in putting
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 settling
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 imposing
to establish or apply as a charge or penalty
state officials tried to lay a tax on merchandise sold over the Internet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in preparing
to make ready in advance
she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in spreading
to put a layer of on a surface
the mason laid mortar over the first row of bricks before starting the second
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in betting
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 attributing
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 burying
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 laying
Instead, the prequel tells the story of anonymous heroes making the ultimate sacrifice, laying the groundwork for Spartan 117's later victories.
—
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
In Van Nuys, four people were accused of laying homemade spike strips to stop immigration vehicles.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
In many ways, this is likely to reflect many of these parties laying the groundwork for the legal fight to come.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Villareal works on each helmet individually with the help of his wife, Lora, who’ll help with masking, cutting out vinyls and laying the design on the helmets.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Sep. 2025
The memorial grew through the morning as more people arrived, laying flowers, lighting candles and placing supportive placards around the entry sign on the hospital's lawn.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
And so, with these four short works, the divide between the fantastical and the real, the inside and the outside collapses, laying bare this colossal network connecting us all.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
These kumbaya platitudes feel out of place when battered and bloody boys are dropping like flies, but that works to the film’s advantage, laying the groundwork for the final rug-pull.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
The kids with the balls spent all that time hunkered down on the stairs, laying low and waiting to be allowed back to their seats.
—The Athletic Tennis Staff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025
In Van Nuys, four people were accused of laying homemade spike strips to stop immigration vehicles.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
In many ways, this is likely to reflect many of these parties laying the groundwork for the legal fight to come.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Villareal works on each helmet individually with the help of his wife, Lora, who’ll help with masking, cutting out vinyls and laying the design on the helmets.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 12 Sep. 2025
The memorial grew through the morning as more people arrived, laying flowers, lighting candles and placing supportive placards around the entry sign on the hospital's lawn.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
And so, with these four short works, the divide between the fantastical and the real, the inside and the outside collapses, laying bare this colossal network connecting us all.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
These kumbaya platitudes feel out of place when battered and bloody boys are dropping like flies, but that works to the film’s advantage, laying the groundwork for the final rug-pull.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
The kids with the balls spent all that time hunkered down on the stairs, laying low and waiting to be allowed back to their seats.
—The Athletic Tennis Staff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying
Verb
-
The driver who takes you into the park is putting his kids through school.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Always air-dry liners rather than putting them in the dryer.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Klarna popped as much as 30% on the day of its New York IPO, before settling to close around 15% higher.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
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The sixth-year quarterback spent most of the game scanning downfield with good protection, finding nothing and settling for shorter throws.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
China has taken a regulatory lead, imposing strict VOC emission limits inside vehicle cabins.—
Anan Bishara,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
This postcard, which portrays the imposing structure in an unusually upbeat way is a great example of Tetricolor.—
Randy Mason,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite the setback, Richardson has been focused on working hard and preparing himself for his next opportunity.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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In addition to her baby on the way, Cardi B is preparing to embark on a new project — a 32-city tour.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The bristles are neither too floppy nor too stiff, neither too long nor too short, and are cut to the perfect rounded shape that’s just right for swirling pigment over the apples or spreading it along your cheekbones—without having to work too hard for a completely natural finish.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Still, Jones ran it to near perfection, spreading the ball around to Bourne, Jauan Jennings, Christian McCaffrey and Jake Tonges before hitting McCaffrey on a 7-yard score in the right side of the end zone.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The criminal investigations chief spoke to ABC News about online betting risks.—
Patricio Chile,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The betting pick is that Silva will win this fight via knockout to keep the Fighting Nerds championship hopes alive.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The time to prepare for AI agents is now, and CISOs can start by establishing AI observability capable of tracking, auditing and attributing agentic behaviors across environments.—
Josh Lemos,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Kentucky reported at least 1,223 work zone crashes in 2024, with officials attributing seven deaths and 298 injuries to those crashes.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Significantly diseased leaves should be raked and removed from the area and disposed of properly, such as by burying, burning where allowed, or hot composting, according to UW-Madison.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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In video footage of the tragedy obtained by ViralPress, Praphrom could be seen inspecting a collapsed road from a trench opening below, before soil and concrete fell and struck the back of his neck, pinning him to the ground and burying him.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Laying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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