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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Virgin Orbit is out of money and will suspend operations and lay off most employees. Stephanie Mlot, PCMAG, 31 Mar. 2023 EVs require automakers and their suppliers to reinvent their supply chains, hire employees with new software, battery, and mechatronic skill sets, and retrain or else lay off workers whose outdated skills are no longer needed. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2023 Toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker will shutter its northern Fort Worth factory and lay off 175 as part of a broader effort to shrink its manufacturing and distribution network. Kyle Arnold, Dallas News, 20 Mar. 2023 The launch of the service comes as Meta seeks to cut costs and improve financial performance following two rounds of layoffs, the latest of which occurred this week and saw the company lay off about 10,000 workers. Tre'vaughn Howard, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2023 The tough-love bandmate who tells her to stop chewing out her fellow musicians and lay off the booze. Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023 The railroads continue to enrich their executives at the expense of public safety and public health and lay off workers and compromise on safety. ABC News, 5 Mar. 2023 The phone hacking scandal sparked a firestorm in Britain over media ethics and forced the Murdochs to shut down the News of the World, lay off about 200 people and abandon a bid for control of a popular satellite TV service, Sky. Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2023 Demand waned last year as consumers pulled back on spending and several freight brokers have been forced to also reduce spending and lay off workers. Paul Berger, WSJ, 2 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lie off was in 1573

Dictionary Entries Near lie off

Cite this Entry

“Lie off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20off. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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