1
: a period of inactivity or idleness
2
: the act of laying off an employee or a workforce
also
: shutdown
laid off; laying off; lays off
1
: to mark or measure off
2
: to cease to employ (a worker) often temporarily
3
of a bookie
: to place all or part of (an accepted bet) with another bookie to reduce the risk
1
: to stop doing or taking something
2
: to leave one alone
wish you'd just lay off
Examples of layoff in a Sentence
Noun
The company announced the layoff of several hundred employees.
More layoffs are expected at the factory later this year.
The band finally has a new album after a three year layoff.
a layoff of three years
Verb
you need to lay off eating those jelly doughnuts, or you'll end up looking like one
Recent Examples on the Web
The Npr Network, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The company also announced its first major layoffs in a decade and plans to cut 1,800 corporate jobs.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The final blow came when Vought announced a plan to lay off more than 80% of the CFPB’s employees.
—Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
At the same time, the administration is trying to use a new round of layoffs to gut multiple offices inside the department, including the Office for Civil Rights and the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to multiple sources within the department.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The company also announced its first major layoffs in a decade and plans to cut 1,800 corporate jobs.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
The shutdown has also left federal workers unpaid, with around 4,000 federal workers laid off and key services suspended, with no end in sight as both parties hold firm.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
The final blow came when Vought announced a plan to lay off more than 80% of the CFPB’s employees.
—Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Cite this Entry
“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/layoff. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
layoff
1 of 2 noun
lay·off
ˈlā-ˌȯf 
1
: the act of laying off an employee or a work force
2
: a period during which there is no activity
lay off
2 of 2 verb(ˈ)lā-ˈȯf
1
: to mark or measure off
2
: to stop employing (a person) often temporarily
lay off workers
3
: to stop doing or taking something
lay off of that stuff
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