lie off

verb

lay off; lain off; lying off; lies off

intransitive verb

1

: to hold back in the early part of a race

2

: to keep a little away from the shore or another ship

3

: to cease work for a time

Examples of lie off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As tech giants lay off thousands of workers to make way for AI, the CEO of the $8 billion food company Ingredion says real people are still the most important ingredient for a successful business. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 July 2025

She’s seen her colleagues lay off their staff and rescind offers to graduate students who were planning to do research this upcoming school year. —Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

For instance, as noted by the Wall Street Journal, one Colorado tent manufacturer had to cut production in half and lay off staff due to soaring fabric costs. —Ana Valdez, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

The waterway lies off Kyushu, the southernmost Japanese main island. —Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lie off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.