lie low, to

lie low

1. To be, make oneself, or remain hidden or inconspicuous; to avoid being found, detected, or scrutinized by others. (Also worded as "lay low.") I'm sorry I haven't been around to see you lately, but with the police investigating the company I thought it would be better to lie low for a while.2. By extension, to keep to oneself; to avoid interactions with others. I think I'm just going to lie low at home this weekend, I don't really feel like going out at all.See also: lie, low

lie low

 and lay lowFig. to keep quiet and not be noticed; to avoid being conspicuous. (Lay is a common error for lie.) I suggest you lie low for a few days. The robber said that he would lay low for a short time after the robbery.See also: lie, low

lie low

Also lay low. Keep oneself or one's plans hidden; bide one's time to act. For example, The children lay low, hoping their prank would soon be forgotten, or The senator decided to lay low until his opponent had committed herself to raising taxes . This expression calls up the image of a hunter concealed in the brush, waiting for game. [Colloquial; late 1800s] See also: lie, low

lie low

COMMON If you lie low, you hide or you take care not to make people notice you. Far from lying low, Kuti became more outspoken than ever. Their plan had been to move by night only, to lie low, to avoid contact.See also: lie, low

lie low

(especially of a criminal) keep out of sight; avoid detection or attention.See also: lie, low

lie ˈlow

(informal) hide or keep quiet for a short time: The thieves lay low for a few days in a farmhouse, then tried to leave the country with the money.See also: lie, low

lie low, to

To conceal oneself or one’s intentions. An American colloquialism of the nineteenth century, the term calls up the image of a hunter quietly concealed in the brush, waiting for game. An early appearance is in one of Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus stories: “All this while Brer Rabbit lay low.” See also: lie