as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place
an eating disorder that would impel her to lay up candy bars in her closet for all-night food binges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of lay up
But this bruin had laid up too much of his winter’s fat already.
—
Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
These bears were laying up fat for their winter’s hibernation, and there must have been a dozen or so of them.
—Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
Now he was laid up with a spinal injury in the Victorian home of a country doctor, his future uncertain.
—Ash Carter, airmail.news, 7 Dec. 2024
The Benedict sawmill is laid up due to the weather.
—Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
These bears were laying up fat for their winter’s hibernation, and there must have been a dozen or so of them.
—Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025
Now he was laid up with a spinal injury in the Victorian home of a country doctor, his future uncertain.
—Ash Carter, airmail.news, 7 Dec. 2024
The Benedict sawmill is laid up due to the weather.
—Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay up
Verb
-
Wise minds inside any presidential administration would quickly sell every barrel of oil presently stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.—
John Tamny,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Most of that ends up in the Wayback Machine, while the rest is digitized analog media — books, television, radio, academic papers — scanned and stored on servers.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
While telecommunications cables have been laid in trenches 8-km deep, power cables are much thicker and heavier, so placing and even transporting them is more challenging.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Mar. 2025
-
For two years, he was chained to his hospital bed without access to any form of entertainment, left to lay in pain and listen to the hum of medical devices.—
Daniel Eduardo Hernandez,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Easy to stash in a purse or beach bag, the stick swivels up so no sharpening is required—nor is a brush.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Some people stash it in inconspicuous places around the house, a habit that experts say can lead to trouble down the line.—
Ana Teresa Solá,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20up. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share