as in to store
to put (something of future use or value) in a safe or secret place
the weather forecast warned of a severe storm, so we laid away a generous supply of bottled water and canned food just in case
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in installment plan
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lay away
Tom Hyland, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021
Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
Adopted from South Korea as a baby, she was raised lovingly by parents who did their best, recalling a home where household goods were often purchased on layaway.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay away
Verb
Yet, despite the tannins, Freisa is not a wine to lay away in most examples, but rather one that should be enjoyed early on, often chilled, with soups, seafood or lighter meats.
—Tom Hyland, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021
Noun
There is also a layaway plan for single-day general admission tickets that starts at $50.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
Adopted from South Korea as a baby, she was raised lovingly by parents who did their best, recalling a home where household goods were often purchased on layaway.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lay away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay away
Verb
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The first is whether a geofence is covered by the Fourth Amendment at all, and second is whether the millions of people who voluntarily signed up to have their location data stored for them essentially gave up any right to privacy.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
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Maintained by a team of a dozen full-time florists, the flowers for the ceremony were stored in a giant walk-in refrigerator and were delivered to the set all in one day to avoid them sitting out in the sun.—
Zoe Papelis,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the time, the city offered businesses a 12-month installment plan to resolve their outstanding taxes.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
In February 2009, former Diamondbacks CEO Jeff Moorad became the Padres’ CEO and presumptive team owner after majority owner John Moores agreed to a three-year installment plan to transfer control of the club.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This is a smart way to stash and develop a player who could pair with kicker Will Reichard for years to come.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Winston Porter’s storage bench helps tidy things up while adding functional seating, with a generous 80-gallon capacity to stash everything from extra cushions to seasonal decor.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So, credit to everybody up and down the list.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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That’s pretty phenomenal; Arden even shares credit with the lighting designer, Jen Schriever.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Flick was aware of what lay in store for his team and asked them to play a more pragmatic game than usual.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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One big unknown, following the death of the penny, lay in how retailers might handle the math of rounding off cash transactions.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But thanks to their reproductive vigor — females can lay up to 25,000 eggs in a single season — their numbers quickly hopped out of hand.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Summit's Javon Ross (33) lays up a ball as Lovejoy's Maddox Johnson (2) defends in the second half of a high school basketball game, Class 5A Division II state semifinal, at SUM’s Moody Coliseum, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in University Park.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This tidal locking, simply put by the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is the result of the gravitational effect of the Earth on the Moon.—
Ray Petelin,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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While a few noted that the croissant had decent flavor, most were off-put by the lack of color and dough-like texture.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lay away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20away. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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