LAYS AN EGG Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

lays an egg

phrase

present tense third-person singular of lay an egg

as in trips

to make a mistake His book report was going perfectly until he laid an egg and got the main character's name wrong.

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as in fails

to be unsuccessful The gymnast nailed perfect landings on her first two vaults but really laid an egg on the third.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays an egg

Phrase

Cruz James had Torrey Scott wide open at the 20 yard line and Scott drops the ball on what could’ve been a touchdown.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Furious drops the ball a bit in the interactions with Emma and Jay Easton, turning them into one-dimensional caricatures instead of complex villains, but honestly, this show isn’t really about them.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of drops the ball

Phrase

If Anthropic's actual spend falls short, it's required to pay Amazon the difference as a true-up.

— Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
The company is arranging compensation, while some collectors say their insurance falls short of the cards’ value.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of falls short

Phrase

The satire falls flat, but there’s some chuckles to be found in the Simpsons living beyond their economic means.

— Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
In its uncertain tonality and zany humor that falls flat, that’s the Waititi film that Klara and the Sun most resembles.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of falls flat

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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lays

lays an egg

lays away

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Style

“Lays an egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20an%20egg. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lays an egg

phrase

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