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
-
Zoning, including single-family-exclusive zoning, first spread across the US in the early 20th century (before that, development was far more freewheeling and improvised).—
Marina Bolotnikova,
Vox,
7 July 2025 -
Associated Press The Context The Daily Beast article quickly spread across social media, where Cruz faced criticism over the trip.—
Andrew Stanton
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
According to McKinsey's recent Global Survey on the State of AI, only 13% of respondents said their company employs AI compliance specialists.—
Stanislava Tarasiuk,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
She had been employed at a Belleville assisted living facility.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
The age at which the earnings test no longer applies has changed as well.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 July 2025
-
Complexity Classes In 1996, the time came for Williams to apply to colleges.—
Ben Brubaker,
Wired News,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
To produce these communications, the House also hired a video producer at $115,000 a year, according to public records.—
Mary Jo Pitzl,
AZCentral.com,
13 July 2025
-
The Sisters of Bon Secours – the nuns who ran the home from 1925 to 1961 – hired a consulting company that denied a mass grave altogether, saying there was no evidence children had been buried there.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Colorado College under Kris Mayotte has smartly recruited mid-round picks who were top players for their CHL teams, but are maybe not marquee names.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
-
The physical attributes that helped these women get recruited likely led to their low rates of maternal mortality.—
Ann Foster,
JSTOR Daily,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
Baldoni’s countersuit, accusing her of smearing him, was dismissed last week.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
19 June 2025
-
The assertion by certain anonymous users online is a typically out-of-context and absurd effort to create fake news for clicks and to smear.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 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 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share