Meaning & use
laid out
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Meanings
phrasephrasal verb
Arranged, planned, or presented in a particular way, especially so that the parts are easy to see.
Grammar: Past participle of lay out; used after be: the room is laid out neatly.
Patterns
- be laid out in something
- be well laid out
The garden is laid out in neat rows.
The report was clearly laid out with headings.
The town is laid out like a grid.
phrasephrasal verb
Explained or stated clearly and in detail.
Grammar: Used when arguments or plans are set out.
Patterns
- lay something out for someone
She laid out the plan for the team.
The lawyer laid out the facts of the case.
He laid out his reasons calmly.
phrasephrasal verbinformal
Knocked unconscious or flat by a blow.
Grammar: Informal; often in the passive: he got laid out.
Patterns
- get laid out
He was laid out by a single punch.
The boxer laid out his rival in round two.
A falling branch laid him out cold.
phrasephrasal verb
Placed flat and ready for viewing or use, such as clothes or a body before burial.
Grammar: Also used for a corpse prepared for a funeral.
Patterns
- be laid out on something
Her clothes were laid out on the bed.
The tools were laid out on a cloth.
The body was laid out in the chapel.
phrasephrasal verbinformal
Spent a large sum of money.
Grammar: Informal; spend usually clearer.
Patterns
- lay out money on something
She laid out a lot of money on the wedding.
They laid out thousands on repairs.
He laid out cash for the tickets.
Common combinations
- neatly laid out
- The page was neatly laid out.
- clearly laid out
- The rules are clearly laid out.
- well laid out
- It is a well laid out park.
- laid out flat
- The map was laid out flat on the table.
- laid out cold
- He was laid out cold by the blow.
Synonyms and how they differ
- arranged
- Arranged is wider and means put in order, while laid out suggests a visible plan.
- set out
- Set out can also mean begin a journey, but laid out is more about arrangement.
- organized
- Organized stresses order, while laid out stresses the shape or format.
- knocked out
- Knocked out is a close match for the unconscious sense and is more common.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: laid out or lied out?
laid out vs lied out
Lied is the past tense of lie meaning to tell falsehoods, so it cannot replace laid. Laid is the past tense of lay.
Practice
Which sentence uses laid out in the sense of knocked unconscious?
Choose one answer.
One punch laid him out describes being knocked down. The others mean arranged or explained.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “laid out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.