lay across

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lay across" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express the idea of something lying horizontally in a crosswise position. Example: I laid my coat across the bed so it wouldn't get wrinkled.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Veins of frozen rivulets lay across it.

The New Yorker

Beige napkins lay across their laps.

The New Yorker

Mangled street lamps, flattened by tanks, lay across the sidewalk.

The New York Times

The tree still lay across the splintered bench.

The New York Times

Lacy, blond like her mother, lay across Wendy's lap.

The New Yorker

On the subway, Stella lay across her sister's lap.

The New York Times

Her right arm — painfully, distortedly bony — lay across her chest.

The New York Times

The dress lay across the backs of two chairs.

The New Yorker

Some chained themselves to machinery, others lay across access roads.

The Guardian

The cloak still lay across his shoulders; it was heavier in the light.

The New Yorker

The remains of kangaroos, incinerated in mid-escape, lay across the north-south highway.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "lay across" to describe the position of an object or person situated horizontally and covering a part of something else. For example, "The fallen tree lay across the road" clearly depicts the tree's position and its obstruction.

Common error

Ensure you're using "lay" (past tense of 'to lay', meaning to place something) correctly, and not confusing it with 'lie' (to recline). "Lay across" requires an object being acted upon (something is laying something else across).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lay across" functions primarily as a phrasal verb indicating the past tense of placing something in a horizontal position over something else. Ludwig shows numerous examples of its use in descriptive contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

15%

Wiki

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "lay across" is a phrasal verb used to describe something positioned horizontally over something else. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and widely used. It is particularly frequent in news and media, scientific, and wiki contexts, with a neutral register suitable for diverse writing styles. Remember to use it accurately to depict spatial arrangements and avoid confusing it with 'lie'. Consider alternatives such as "positioned over" or "extended across" to vary your phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lying over

Direct synonym, but may imply a more relaxed or casual placement.

spread across

Describes the action of distributing over a surface.

stretched over

Suggests an extension across a surface or space.

positioned over

Emphasizes placement above something, rather than a general lying position.

extended across

Similar to "stretched over" but can also imply a more linear progression across something.

spanned over

Implies bridging or covering a distance or gap.

placed athwart

A more formal and less common way of saying "lay across", implying a perpendicular placement.

overlaying

Indicates that something is covering the surface of another object.

rested upon

Focuses on the support provided by the underlying surface.

covering

Describes something that is spread over something else.

FAQs

How can I use "lay across" in a sentence?

Use "lay across" to describe an object or person positioned horizontally and covering a portion of something else. For example: "The blanket "lay across" the child's lap."

What are some alternatives to "lay across"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "stretched over", "positioned over", or "extended across".

Which is correct, "lay across" or "lied across"?

"Lay across" is correct when describing the past action of placing something across something else. "Lied" is the past tense of 'to lie' (to recline) and doesn't fit this context.

What's the difference between "lay across" and "lying across"?

"Lay across" is the past tense, indicating a completed action. "Lying across" is the present participle, used in continuous tenses (e.g., "The cable is "lying across" the path.").