furlough 1 of 2

noun

ˈfər-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce furlough (audio)
Definition of furloughnext
as in dismissal
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily the landscaping company usually has to put most of its personnel on furlough during the extremely slow winter months

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

furlough

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to excess

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in to bum

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Dissimilar Words

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 furlough
Noun
The district plan also includes unpaid furlough days for workers, but employees unions so far are not going along. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 At a June 22 meeting, the Cincinnati Public Schools' board approved five furlough days for administrators and teachers. — Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
One North Texas owner says she's already had to furlough a large portion of her staff. — Erin Jones, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026 Life has ground to a halt, with classes suspended at many schools, workers furloughed to save energy, and flights from some places canceled because Cuba doesn’t have enough jet fuel for long-haul flights. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for furlough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furlough
  1. dismissal
  2. excess
  3. bum
  4. firing
  5. lay off
  6. malinger
  7. layoff
  8. ax
Noun
  • The dismissal of his pitching coaches in August, the stunning announcement of Kroenke’s purchase of the club just last week.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Does M’Benga’s past experience, and Kirk’s father’s dismissal as Reeger’s second officer, offer any answers?
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • Over the past few months my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening.
    — Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 17 July 2023
  • You’ve been quoted as saying that that is really what the film is about — not so much drinking to excess as embracing the uncontrollable.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2021
Definition of excess
Verb
  • The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • My conversation partner returned, somehow unable to bum even a single cigarette from anyone at this party.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 July 2026
Definition of bum
Noun
  • That was a stunner, but surely Michigan would come out firing and put the 2025 MAC champions away.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Conclusion Laser weapons offer rapid engagement, deep magazines, and significantly lower firing costs than many conventional defensive missiles.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of firing
Verb
  • Corporations lay off workers en masse in hopes of replicating their labor with LLMs.
    — Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
  • For Ali, a Tehrani technician who had to lay off his half a dozen workers, the economic situation isn’t theoretical.
    — Kay Armin Serjoie, Time, 17 June 2026
Definition of lay off
Verb
  • The entire day felt dehumanizing, as if her nearly eight years with the company, her medical problems and her physical pain had been reduced to nothing more than malingering and scattered incidents of tardiness.
    — Greg Jaffe, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
  • Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, practices in Chicago and has lectured on the topic of malingering, according to a resume posted online.
    — Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
Definition of malinger
Noun
  • Then Alcaraz went away for about two sets, as any ordinary player coming back from such a layoff might have done many rounds earlier against a far less accomplished player.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The layoffs were part of a larger cost-cutting effort at Microsoft, which is laying off about 2% of its workforce in total.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of layoff
Verb
  • Continue reading … BADGE DRAIN — Seattle axes $50K police bonuses while sitting hundreds of officers short.
    — , FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Sony Pictures Television, which produces the long-running gameshow, has axed Thornton after an alleged incident on an American Airlines flight in May.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of ax

Browse Nearby Words

furless
furlough
furloughed
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Cite this Entry

“Furlough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furlough. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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