layoff 1 of 2

noun

ˈlā-ˌȯf How to pronounce layoff (audio)
Definition of layoffnext
1
as in dismissal
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily even senior employees lost their jobs in the massive layoff

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in winter
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness after such a long layoff the boxer badly needed to get back into shape

Synonyms & Similar Words

lay off

2 of 2

verb

as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end you need to lay off eating those jelly doughnuts, or you'll end up looking like one

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of layoff
Noun
Casar has been on a media blitz pitching progressives’ AI proposals, which have ranged from a ban on AI superintelligence to a tax on the technology to pay for a jobs program that offsets related layoffs. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026 For others, the honest answer is closer to the layoff being the plan, with AI supplying the framing after the fact. — Avy Punwasee, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
In case the winning bidder does not continue racing, the track will have to lay off its workforce. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 With that transition, Republic National plans to close sites in Charlotte and Raleigh, laying off 39 and 14 people, respectively. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
  1. dismissal
  2. winter
  3. stop
  4. firing
  5. break
  6. cease
  7. furlough
  8. downtime
Noun
  • That Penn State failed to use the long runway given with Franklin’s October dismissal didn’t help things.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Iraola’s dismissal came as a surprise to a number of his players, although Catala, who later managed Larnaca, explains that there is a volatility to decision-making in Cyprus if form deteriorates.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Noun
  • The initial plan was to monitor his development until the Christmas period and then consider a loan in the winter window.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • However, Paknejad warned that some of the capacity would remain unavailable during the winter, stressing the need to manage gas supply and consumption to prevent disruptions.
    — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of winter
Verb
  • The aid workers who once regularly visited her village to help pregnant women had stopped coming, after foreign aid cuts by the United States shuttered a program aimed at saving mothers’ and babies’ lives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The exposure obviously scares him, but not enough to stop him from filming his next scene, where he’s been tasked with breaking in newcomer Cami Soul.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stop
Noun
  • Under Bondi and Blanche’s leadership, the department has lost thousands of employees through firings, resignations or voluntary departures.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Part of the process included increasing the duration of the satellite’s thruster burns to get ready for the multi-hour firings needed while grappling the observatory.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • The three took a mother-daughter trip to Universal Studios in California during Haley Joy and Hope’s winter break from school.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The service break Sabalenka conceded in the final game was her sixth.
    — Lukas Weese, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of break
Verb
  • Workers at the nonprofit were laid off after the money went missing, and the organization eventually ceased operating.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Combs' team issued two cease-and-desist letters to Netflix in response to the documentary's release.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cease
Noun
  • The district plan also contains elements that have to be negotiated with employees, such as unpaid furlough days.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Without those funds, the consequences are midyear layoffs, furlough days, and cuts.
    — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of furlough
Noun
  • According to Schaffer, just as surreal as directing the former president was chatting with him during the downtime of the four-hour shoot.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Recharge Your Body When downtime calls for restoration, Belmont’s William Henry the Spa delivers.
    — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of downtime

Browse Nearby Words

laymen
layoff
lay off
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Cite this Entry

“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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