lay of the land

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So investors may have been waiting to evaluate the lay of the land.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Like many, I’ve previously winced at hop-on, hop-off city bus tours, but around $29 for a 60-minute ride seemed worth it to get the lay of the land in this densely populated place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

Only nine games played and 29 left to play, as Brendan Rodgers pointed out later, in a somewhat revealing comment about the way he sees the lay of the land.

From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025

"I love turning on terrestrial television in any country that I'm in. It really gives you the lay of the land."

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025

I considered the lay of the land and followed some animal trails.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss