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

Richard Moody, chief economist at Regions Financial Corp., thinks Warsh could start to lay out the case for a resumption of interest-rate cuts once inflation pressures have begun to abate.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 14, 2026

In what was billed to be a defiant address, Starmer pledged to lay out "a platform on which we can build" tighter links with the EU.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

“I had the kids lay out the whole track,” Mejia said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

The problem is that the wire fraud statute does not clearly lay out what counts as a “scheme to defraud.”

From Slate • May 1, 2026

The main library was like an old-world cathedral, with high ceilings and glossy hardwood tables where we could lay out our textbooks and study in silence.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• arrange
• chart
• outline