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

By gathering the lay of the land from experienced colleagues or getting clear guidelines from HR, you’ll have clarity on what works and what doesn’t.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

"We were outbid by another buyer, which is sadly the lay of the land at the moment," said Mr Price.

From BBC • May 13, 2025

It really gives you the lay of the land.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025

Now, in the long, lingering twilight of a late June Northwest evening, Joe sat on the hood of the Franklin, in front of the office, and studied the lay of the land before him.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown