lie on/upon
phrasal verb
lay on/upon; lain on/upon; lying on/upon; lies on/upon
: to affect (someone) in a specified way
Sorrow lay heavily on him.
Guilt lies on his conscience.
She keeps herself healthy so her years lie lightly upon her.
Examples of lie on/upon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Several interesting features are visible in the image, including a rock that appears to lie on top of a sand ripple and hills as distant as 40 miles away.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Clients lie on the table, close their eyes, and listen to soothing music.
—Anneke Knot, Allure, 6 Aug. 2025
The amendment would still allow people to sit or lie on benches or chairs which are outside the overhangs.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
Adra’s villages is among collection of hamlets also including Hafaweh, Mirkez, Jimba and Susya, which lie on the Palestinian West Bank side of the 1949 Green Line.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie on/upon
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.
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Clients lie on the table, close their eyes, and listen to soothing music.
—Anneke Knot, Allure, 6 Aug. 2025
The amendment would still allow people to sit or lie on benches or chairs which are outside the overhangs.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
Adra’s villages is among collection of hamlets also including Hafaweh, Mirkez, Jimba and Susya, which lie on the Palestinian West Bank side of the 1949 Green Line.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie on/upon
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lie on/upon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20on%2Fupon. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share