Synonyms for

Laying

Verb / ˈleɪɪŋ / Another word for laying — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

The act of putting or placing something down in a horizontal position.

Synonyms & similar words

lay repose put set place egglaying position pose putdown placing setting putting positioning arranging depositing resting installing situating propping settling flattening lodging establishing disposing stowing dropping planting

Synonyms by register

Formal

placing positioning setting installing

Informal

putting sticking dropping

Literary

brooding nesting

Antonyms

standing rising erecting building constructing lifting raising

Common collocations

  • laying the groundwork
  • laying eggs
  • laying a foundation
  • laying down the law
  • laying out
  • laying emphasis on
  • laying siege
  • laying a trap

Word family

noun laying
verb lay

Usage note

Often confused with 'lying' (to recline). 'Laying' is the present participle of 'lay', which means to put or place something down and requires a direct object.

Example sentences

  1. He is laying the bricks for the new wall.
  2. She is laying the table for dinner.
  3. The hen is laying eggs in her nest.
  4. The carpenter is laying the floorboards in the house.
  5. The farmer is laying the seeds in the soil.

Quotes

  • I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. - Martin Luther King Jr.
  • I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke. - Donald Trump
  • Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. - Henry Ford

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