layup

1 of 2

noun

lay·​up ˈlā-ˌəp 

1

: the action of laying up or the condition of being laid up

2

: a shot in basketball made from near the basket usually by playing the ball off the backboard

lay up

2 of 2

verb

laid up; laying up; lays up

transitive verb

1

: to store up : lay by

2

: to disable or confine with illness or injury

a knee injury laid him up for a week

3

: to take out of active service

Synonyms

Verb

• cache
• hoard
• lay away
• lay by
• lay in
• put by
• salt away
• squirrel (away)
• stash
• stockpile
• store
• stow
• treasure

Examples of layup in a Sentence

Verb

an eating disorder that would impel her to lay up candy bars in her closet for all-night food binges

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Here, Haliburton forces Brunson to switch onto him, which then causes Hart to be caught ball watching which led to Nembhard slipping backdoor for the wide open layup. —Mikai Bruce, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

Brunson knifed through the lane for a layup at the rim to put the Knicks up one with under a minute left, and Haliburton responded with a crossover on Brunson, then a dime to Andrew Nembhard to put the Pacers back up one. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025

Verb

Most players would have just laid up out to the right, just like even Bryson DeChambeau did minutes later from a similar spot. —David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025

He is badly bruised however and will be laid up for some time. —Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

layup

1 of 2 noun

lay·​up ˈlā-ˌəp 

: a basketball shot made from near the basket usually by bouncing the ball off the backboard

lay up

2 of 2 verb

1

: to store up

2

: to disable or confine with illness or injury

a knee injury laid her up for a week

3

: to take out of active service