laying an egg

phrase

present participle of lay an egg
1
as in fumbling
to make a mistake His book report was going perfectly until he laid an egg and got the main character's name wrong.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful The gymnast nailed perfect landings on her first two vaults but really laid an egg on the third.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying an egg
  1. dropping the ball
  2. falling short
  3. falling flat
Phrase
  • Lewis repeatedly overthrew open deep shots in the first half; In the second, his wideouts took turns dropping the ball.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Last year, the fair attracted almost 330,000 visitors — no sign that Sedalia is dropping the ball.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
Definition of dropping the ball
Phrase
  • The Blue Jays were about to go on a magical run that would come within inches of a title, ultimately falling short in an all-time classic of a World Series.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The trial ended in a 57–43 vote to convict, falling short of the two-thirds threshold required.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling short
Phrase
  • The resilient fill bounces back night after night, maintaining its shape without falling flat.
    — V BRAND STORIES, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But the execution was dead on arrival, with the whole thing falling flat on its face.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of falling 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.

Browse Nearby Words

laying
laying an egg
laying away
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Laying an egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20an%20egg. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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