WordLens

lay up

1 of 1verb
/leɪ ʌp/
Forms:lays up,laying up,laid up,laid up
1

(of an illness or injury) to confine someone to bed

  • My friend was laid up with a broken leg for several weeks.
  • Severe flu symptoms laid her up, forcing her to take time off work and rest at home.
  • The athlete laid up with a hamstring injury.
  • The sports injury was more serious than anticipated, and it laid the athlete up for an extended period.
  • The employee laid up at home with a case of the flu.
2

(in basketball) to score two points by gently placing the ball off the backboard with one hand

  • LeBron James can lay up from anywhere on the court.
  • The young player laid the ball up softly to avoid getting blocked.
  • The point guard drove to the basket and laid up the ball over the defender.
  • Stephen Curry laid up the ball over the outstretched arms of the defender.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo laid the ball up with his left hand while being fouled hard.
3

to accumulate something for future use

  • I'm trying to lay up some money for a down payment on a house.
  • My grandparents always laid up food and supplies in case of a blizzard.
  • My dad has been laying up baseball cards since he was a kid.
  • The company is laying inventory up in anticipation of increased demand.
  • The government is laying oil reserves up in case of a supply disruption.
4

to create future problems for oneself

  • If you don't start studying for your exams, you're just laying up problems for yourself.
  • My friend is laying problems up for themselves by spending more money than they earn.
  • The company is laying up problems for itself by not investing in its employees.
  • The politician is laying up problems for themselves by making false promises.
  • The student is laying problems up for themselves by cheating on their exams.
5

to deactivate a ship or vehicle for storage or repair

  • The aircraft carrier was laid up for maintenance after it returned from a long deployment.
  • The oil tanker was laid up for repairs after it collided with another ship.
  • The military is laying up some of its vehicles due to budget cuts.
  • The space agency is laying up some of its spacecraft due to technical problems.
  • The car collector is laying some of his classic cars up until he can restore them.