lays 1 of 3

verb

Definition of laysnext
present tense third-person singular of lay
1
as in puts
to arrange something in a certain spot or position just lay the book over there on the table for now

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in settles
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

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3
as in imposes
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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4
as in prepares
to make ready in advance she's laying plans for the charity auction months ahead of time

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5
as in applies
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 bets
to risk (something) on the outcome of an uncertain event I'll lay five dollars that you can't do it

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7
as in ascribes
to explain (something) as being the result of something else an electrical fire that was laid to faulty wiring

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8
as in buries
to place (a dead body) in the earth, a tomb, or the sea lay the corpse to rest

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lays

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural of lay
1
as in melodies
a rhythmic series of musical tones arranged to give a pleasing effect the minstrel strummed a cheerful lay on his lute

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2
as in ballads
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment she sang a short lay in dedication to her husband

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lays

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural of lay
as in works
the activity by which one regularly makes a living my main lay is as a general contractor, but I do side work as a carpenter

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Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays
  1. puts
  2. settles
  3. imposes
  4. prepares
  5. applies
  6. spreads
  7. attributes
  8. locates
Verb
  • At the same time, France’s government collapse puts Marine Le Pen, head of the country’s far-right National Rally, in her best position yet to make a major play for power.
    Erin Spencer Sairam, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • But as Daniel Goleman writes in his book Social Intelligence, in a society that puts too much emphasis on individualism, the power of the social brain often gets suppressed and overlooked.
    Kevin Kruse, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of puts
Verb
  • There's a good chance his final stat line will look much different by the end of the season as the offense settles in.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
  • While experimenting with male and female costuming and behavior, Sylvia settles on what can be seen as a delicately balanced middle course in dealing with her gender identity.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of settles
Verb
  • While Washington imposes arbitrary budget caps that fail to provide the military with growth above inflation to confront these growing global challenges, China has consistently invested real growth into its military year-after-year.
    Todd Harrison, TIME, 7 Dec. 2024
  • For most eligible offenses, the law imposes a seven-year waiting period during which individuals must maintain a clean record to qualify for sealing.
    Alonzo Martinez, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of imposes
Verb
  • The Trap Of Luck The difference between luck and capability lies in how an organization prepares for and responds to problems.
    Andreza Araujo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Now more than a year into her term, Bullock leads a central bank that, thus far, has held out on cutting interest rates, placing her fiercely in the spotlight as the country prepares for a 2025 election with cost of living concerns top-of-mind for voters.
    Erin Spencer Sairam, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of prepares
Verb
  • Turkey’s old playbook no longer applies.
    Guney Yildiz, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • That particularly applies to the core of his business— buying and selling millions of dollars of bonds for the clients' portfolios.
    Barnet Sherman, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of applies
Verb
  • Those are the places where human development spreads into wild, undeveloped spaces.
    Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Officials have ramped up the testing of raw milk following as a bird flu (H5N1) outbreak spreads among the nation's cattle.
    Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of spreads
Verb
  • Angling to go public soon on the London stock exchange (after failing to generate interest on Wall Street), Shein attributes its success to cheap labor, on-demand production, and direct-to-consumer sales.
    Greg Petro, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Schaefer attributes the rapid growth in traditional retail to its more than 700,000 Gen Z social media followers.
    Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of attributes
Verb
  • In the daylight, a Mavic reconnaissance quadcopter locates a target and drops a miniature radio beacon on it.
    David Hambling, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
  • The first such event raised $15,000 for Arkansas tornado relief; this year's beneficiary is The Van, which locates and assists homeless Arkansans.
    Eric E. Harrison, arkansasonline.com, 12 Oct. 2024
Definition of locates
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near lays

lay readers

lays

lays an egg

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Cite this Entry

“Lays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lays

Nglish: Translation of lays for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lays for Arabic Speakers

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