1
as in to discard
to get rid of as useless or unwanted
a politician who had laid by his principles years ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place
ever since the last hurricane caught them unprepared, they have laid by emergency supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay by
Verb
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The first-stage booster that had been tapped during the original attempts was discarded for a new booster.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 July 2025 -
Off flavor: If the pineapple tastes sour or fizzy, discard it.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Ask for explicit details on where your data will be processed and stored, whether the vendor brings in other third parties, like infrastructure or analytics providers, and what controls are in place for cross-border data transfers.—
Khash Kiani,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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However, storing and releasing energy day after day causes inevitable wear and tear.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The bout of storms comes after torrential rainfall Tuesday night dumped nearly 5.5 inches of rain within 90 minutes, prompting reports of flooding in basements and viaducts on the city’s West Side.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
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The sand, pre-washed and compacted upon arrival, was dumped into an 18-inch wooden frame, with elements such as hospitality added to help remove debris from the air.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Where are annual cicadas found in NC? Cicadas begin life as eggs laid in twigs and usually stay near their birthplace as juveniles, Hayes said.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2025
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Eggs are laid in the fall and hatch the following spring.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
21 June 2025
Verb
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That means ditching jargon, simplifying the language, and embedding meaningful guidance at every step, not just in financial education courses, but in checkout flows, customer service chats, and everyday social content.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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The easing of these requirements could spell an end to travelers guzzling liquids at checkpoints and ditching items that do not meet the size allowance.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Verb
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There’s even an opening in the back for cord management, making this an ideal place to stash your home’s unsightly Wi-Fi equipment.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
3 July 2025
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Each piece, from pipes to bubblers to stash jars, is handmade in Chile.—
Javier Hasse,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Stratton unloaded an array of moves on Stratus, including a suplex that ended with Stratus hitting Stratton’s knees.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unloaded roughly $36.4 million worth of stock in the leading artificial intelligence chipmaker, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Considering a mature colony can include up to 400,000 worker ants, a queen can lay up to 1,000 eggs a day, and that there can be several colonies per acre of land, fire ants can sometimes seem like the perfect pest.—
Gareth McGrath,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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Females can lay up to 100 eggs during a lifetime, which hatch in three to six weeks.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
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Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20by. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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