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
-
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
-
Iran’s Hormuz blockade employs a similar strategy to the one deployed by the Houthis on the other end of the Arabian Peninsula.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Born in a garage 40 years ago, my company now employs 100 hardworking Mississippians and supplies more than 10,000 retail stores nationwide.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The bill only applies to social media platforms with $1 billion or more in annual advertising revenue, a pool that includes other social media giants such as YouTube and TikTok but may not capture other popular platforms like Discord, which is widely used by gamers.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The overtime deduction applies to compensation covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Here, a light blue base lays underneath bright blue French tips.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
While the Baltimore sneaker leans bold, the Washington design takes on a lighter feel.—
Michael Howes,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Ravi Dubey plays Lakshmana and Sunny Deol takes on the role of Hanuman.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 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 7 Apr. 2026.
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