laid
Americanverb
verb
Other Word Forms
- well-laid adjective
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How does laid compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Laid means "set down." If you built a brick wall, and then when it's done your neighbor complains that the wall crosses onto his property, tell him, "too late! The brick has already been laid." Laid is the past participle of the verb, lay, which means set down. So something that has been laid has already been set down. You might scramble up the eggs the chickens laid yesterday. Before your guests come over, your table should have been laid. Or you might examine the foundations that the builder laid down for the house you're building. We often use laid if we want to emphasize how carefully something has been done.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a scathing order, Nunley laid out why he was compelled to take such a rare step.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
Former captain Marlie Packer, Sadia Kabeya, Mia Venner, and Haineala Lutui all bolstered the scoreboard further as England laid down another marker in their pursuit of an eighth straight Six Nations title.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
The report laid out a doom-loop scenario of AI improvements wiping out white-collar employment and driving economic deterioration.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
On Saturday morning, Reynolds stepped into Ned’s office and laid out Abby’s plan as he understood it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Before he answered, he laid his hammer down on the anvil, turned, and started stirring up the fire in the forge.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
