1
a
: a supply (as of horses) arranged beforehand for successive relief
b
: a number of persons who relieve others in some work
worked in relays around the clock
2
a
: a race between teams in which each team member successively covers a specified portion of the course
b
: one of the divisions of a relay
3
: an electromagnetic device for remote or automatic control that is actuated by variation in conditions of an electric circuit and that operates in turn other devices (such as switches) in the same or a different circuit
4
5
: the act of passing along (something, such as a message or ball) by stages
also
: one of such stages
relayed; relaying
1
a
: to place or dispose in relays
b
: to provide with relays
2
: to pass along by relays
news was relayed to distant points
3
: to control or operate by a relay
relaid
(ˌ)rē-ˈlād 
; relaying
; relaying
: to lay again
relay track
Examples of relay in a Sentence
Noun
Our relay team is training for next weekend's race.
a satellite relay of a television signal
We set up a relay to carry buckets of water to the campsite.
They worked in relays to clear the rubble.
Recent Examples on the Web
Casey Murphy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
After earning bronze in the 200m and silver in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics, Thomas triumphed at the Paris 2024 Games with three gold medals in the 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
—Ty Gaskins, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024
Kate Gibson, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
After flagging the suspicious texts, the company relayed the information to the Grand Rapids police.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relay 
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Noun
Last season, Guiliano became a four-time ACC champion, winning the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay, helping the team secure second place overall at the 2024 ACC Championships.
—Casey Murphy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
After earning bronze in the 200m and silver in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Olympics, Thomas triumphed at the Paris 2024 Games with three gold medals in the 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
—Ty Gaskins, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024
Verb
However, many filers that enter the agreements don't complete them, Lawless relayed.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
After flagging the suspicious texts, the company relayed the information to the Grand Rapids police.
—Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relay
Dictionary Entries Near relay
Cite this Entry
“Relay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relay. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
relay
1 of 3 noun
re·lay
ˈrē-ˌlā
1
: a fresh supply (as of horses or people) arranged to relieve others
2
a
: a race between teams in which each team member covers an assigned part of the course
b
: one of the divisions of a relay
3
: an electromagnetic device in which the opening or closing of one circuit operates another device (as a switch in another circuit)
4
: the act of passing along (as a message or a ball) by stages
also
: one of such stages
the shortstop's relay from center field was too late to catch the runner
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