verb to attack or criticize someone harshly or aggressively
To confront someone about their actions or behavior in a direct and forceful manner
To aggressively attack or criticize an opponent or teammate in a competitive setting
To harshly criticize or reprimand someone for their performance or behavior
In a professional context, a writer may use 'lay into' when describing a character's intense criticism or verbal attack on another character in a story or script.
A psychologist may use 'lay into' when discussing a client's tendency to harshly criticize themselves or others, or when describing a confrontational therapy session.
A lawyer may use 'lay into' when describing their aggressive cross-examination of a witness in court or when discussing a heated argument during a legal negotiation.
A manager may use 'lay into' when describing a disciplinary conversation with an employee or when discussing the need to address a team member's poor performance.
A journalist may use 'lay into' when describing a tough interview where they ask pointed and challenging questions to the interviewee.