lay out

British  

verb

1. to arrange or spread out

2. to prepare (a corpse) for burial or cremation

3. to plan or contrive

4. informal to spend (money), esp lavishly

5. informal to knock unconscious

6. informal to exert (oneself) or put (oneself) to an effort

   he laid himself out to please us

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noun

1. the arrangement or plan of something, such as a building

2. the arrangement of written material, photographs, or other artwork on an advertisement or page in a book, newspaper, etc

3. a preliminary plan indicating this

4. a drawing showing the relative disposition of parts in a machine, etc

5. the act of laying out

6. something laid out

7. the formation of cards on the table in various games, esp in patience

8. informal a residence or establishment, esp a large one

lay out Idioms  

1. Make a detailed plan, design, or explanation, as in They laid out the exact dimensions in order to construct the new display , or Robert laid out next year's plans for his staff . [Mid-1700s]

2. Prepare a dead body for burial, as in He died that morning and was laid out for the wake by afternoon . [Late 1500s]

3. Rebuke harshly, as in She laid me out for breaking the vase . [ Slang ; late 1800s]

4. Knock unconscious or to the ground, render helpless, as in He laid him out with one good punch . [Late 1800s]

5. Expend, spend, as in She laid out a fortune on jewelry . [Mid-1400s]

6. Display or arrange, especially in a particular order, as in He asked her to lay out the merchandise in an attractive way . [Mid-1400s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lay out

It also pushed the agency to lay out how long veterans have to wait for care.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

But this week’s dissent statements may ring louder given that Warsh declined to lay out the logic of the hold-steady decision in much detail, said Derek Tang, a Fed analyst at Monetary Policy Analytics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Working in food truck businesses has given Ramirez first-hand knowledge of how to efficiently lay out a mobile kitchen and set up new food vendors for success before they even pick up a knife.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Collina believes the only way to get results is to be strict - to lay out the situation to coaches and be ready to enforce the rules when necessary.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

The boys and a handful of reporters were waiting for Al Ulbrickson to lay out his plan for the upcoming racing season.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Related Words

• arrange
• chart
• outline