lay open

1. Expose; also, make vulnerable to. For example, The audit laid open some suspicious dealings, or She had not laid herself open to any charge of wrongdoing. The first usage dates from the mid-1500s, the second from the mid-1800s. Also see leave open.

Example Sentences

His hard-shell suitcase lay open on the bed.

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By the end of the show, my notebook lay open on the coffee table filled with notes and sketches.

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When it finally lay open on the table, I couldn’t help but gawk in wonder at my iPhone 13 Mini’s precisely packed guts, and I realized I was having fun!

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The old lady had been reading her morning portion of Scripture—the Lesson for the day; her Bible lay open before her, and her spectacles were upon it.

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Within the arch, the bulky figure of Sir George Lynn, whom Mr. Rochester had likewise chosen, was seen enveloped in a white sheet: before him, on a table, lay open a large book; and at his side stood Amy Eshton, draped in Mr. Rochester’s cloak, and holding a book in her hand.

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Related Words

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• declare 
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• mention 
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• order 
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• state 
• summon