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hire employees with new software, battery, and mechatronic skill sets, and retrain or else lay off workers whose outdated skills are no longer needed.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

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Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.