1
as in to spread
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 to employ
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 lay on
Verb
-
The idea spread around campus after it was discussed with the Yell Leaders, and the tradition was born that evening.—
Jordy Fee-Platt,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025 -
Reactions to the extraordinary news spread quickly, ranging from surprise to anger at the league itself, according to five people who work inside or closely with the NBA, all of whom were granted anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly about the matter.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Chen’s Prince Group employs thousands of people and bills itself as one of the biggest conglomerates in Cambodia, with investments in luxury real estate, banking services, hotels, major construction developments, grocery stores and even luxury watches.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Set against a backdrop of ivory and sand tones, the elegant furnishings employ elevated silhouettes and textured fabrics, while the cobalt blue chef’s kitchen brings an unexpected vibrancy to the open-living layout.—
Gabriela Ulloa,
Architectural Digest,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The chain embellishment was applied to multiple styles, be in the short pump or a taller slingback, and stood out against different colors.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Use a mop to apply the bleach solution to the floors, covering a small area at a time and working in a figure-eight or side-to-side pattern.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Twenty days after the trade, Kupchak stepped down from his position and transitioned into an advisory role, coinciding with the Hornets hiring former Nets executive Jeff Peterson as their new general manager.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Brody was also joined onscreen by his wife, Leighton Meester, who played an influencer and former friend of Joanne (Kristen Bell) who hired Noah for her baby-naming ceremony.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched in response to the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas’s attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and laid waste to swaths of territory.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
-
By the end of March 2018 Aydın seemed unsure whether to try to clear his name or lay low, vacillating between the two strategies.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Herodotus recruits evidence from passages in the Iliad and the Odyssey to show that Homer himself knew at least fragments of this tale yet opted to tell another, better yarn.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Even human intelligence will follow, as visual reconnaissance teams view what is happening in other settlements or try to recruit sources who live and work there.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Robert returns to his desk only to find that Invisigal had stolen him a donut as a gesture of good faith, which is now smeared all over his keyboard for the new janitor, Water Boy, to clean by vomiting H20 on the mess.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee said the audit was purposefully designed to smear the Sheriff's Office.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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.
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20on. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share