Lay
Lay verb - To establish or apply as a charge or penalty.
Usage example: state officials tried to lay a tax on merchandise sold over the Internet
Levy
Levy verb - To establish or apply as a charge or penalty.
Usage example: the baseball commissioner is levying a fine of $10,000 against every player involved in the fracas
Cite this Source
Levy and Lay. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 08, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/lay/levy
Lay & Levy. N.p., 2016. Web. 08 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/lay/levy>.
Levy or Lay. 2016. Accessed August 08, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/lay/levy.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "lay" and "levy" have occurred on timeline