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to lay away

to lay away

1 4.7
To save money or keep goods for later
  • phrasal verb
  • /leɪ əˈweɪ/
translation icon : reservar
  • Don't lay away your money!

Examples

  • I will lay away some money for a new bike.

  • The store will lay away the coat until you are ready to pay the full amount.

  • Every month, she tries to lay away a portion of her salary for emergencies.

  • It's wise to lay away funds for your children's education.

  • Many shoppers prefer to lay away more expensive items until they can afford to pay for them in full.

  • She decided to lay away some money each month for her vacation next year.

  • With the holiday season approaching, he plans to lay away gifts ahead of time to avoid last-minute expenses.

Synonyms

to save
vsto lay away
1.0

Keep something for use later

is specifically about saving for later purchase or use
to store
vsto lay away
463 1.0

To put something away to use later

emphasizes reserving for later spending or use rather than mere safekeeping
to save money
vsto lay away
257 1.3

To put money aside instead of spending it now

is about reserving items or funds specifically for later purchase
to reserve
vsto lay away
145 3.1

To keep something for a particular person or purpose

applies broadly to putting things aside for later spending or use
to stash
vsto lay away
  • Informal
144 5.1

To hide money or things in a secret place for later

is similar but neutral and not necessarily secretive
to save up
vsto lay away
87 2.6

To put money aside little by little for something you want

is broader, covering general setting aside not only gradual saving
to set aside
vsto lay away
87 3.4

Save money or time for a special purpose

is used more generally for saving for future use or purchase
to hoard
vsto lay away
45 4.8

To collect and keep large amounts of food or other things for future use

is about ordinary saving or reserving, not excessive accumulation
to put in
vsto lay away
26 2.1

Keep or save something for future use

adds the idea of saving for future purchase rather than casual storage
to save for later
vsto lay away
23 3.0

Keep something to use at a later time

stresses deliberate reserving for future purchase or use
to stash away
vsto lay away
  • Informal
13 4.9

Put something in a hidden place to use later

is the neutral act of setting aside for later use or purchase
to squirrel away
vsto lay away
  • Informal
4 5.3

To save money or things over time, often secretly

is general saving for future purchase without secrecy or gradual focus
to store away
vsto lay away
3 2.6

To put something in a safe place to use later

focuses more on setting value aside for future buying than location
to save for a rainy day
vsto lay away
  • Informal
3 2.9

Put money aside to use if something unexpected happens

is general saving for future purchase, not only for emergencies
to lay in
vsto lay away
2 4.0

To get and keep extra supplies for use later

is about saving specifically for later purchase or use
to keep back
vsto lay away
2 2.8

Save part of something to use later

focuses more on planning for future purchase or use rather than withholding
to lay aside
vsto lay away
1 3.5

Save money for future use

is more focused on setting something aside for a purchase
to cache
vsto lay away
1 5.8

To hide things like food or money in a secret place for later use

is about reserving for future use or purchase, not only hiding
to salt away
vsto lay away
  • Informal
1 6.7

To save money little by little to use later

is broader, not implying secrecy or slow accumulation
to hive up
vsto lay away
  • UK
7.9

To store things like food or money so you can use them later

is mainly about putting money or goods aside for later purchase

Antonyms

1.0

To give money to buy something or pay for services

1.0

To use or spend something carelessly and without good reason

How Much

to hoard
45 4.8
to stash away
  • Informal
13 4.9
to save up
87 2.6
to lay away
1 4.7
to set aside
87 3.4
to put aside
24 2.4

Surface Forms

lay away infinitive
laying away present participle
lays away third person singular
laid away past
laid away past participle

Morphology

lay + away

The meaning 'to save or set aside for future use' is directly derivable from combining 'lay' (to place or set) with 'away' (aside/for later). The compositional sense 'place something away' (= put aside) is a common, cross-linguistic pattern and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The phrasal verb lay away comes from the simple picture of putting something aside for later: to lay it down and put it away in a box, chest, or on a shelf. One common story says shops used to lay away a customer's item until they paid, so today it means 'to save or set aside' for future use.