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
In fact, furlough transfers where minimum security inmates transfer from prison to prison are routine, allowing inmates the opportunity to catch their own ride to their next destination. — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 18 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
  • Cruz said that the dismissal of the rising cost of living led Republicans to be unsuccessful this election cycle.
    — Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Now, the Seminoles quarterback is being turned to as a stabilizing presence in what has been a turbulent week, after coach Mike Norvell’s dismissal.
    — Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 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
  • Hill then apparently fled into the woods, firing off more shots, before he was later picked up, trying to bum a ride and evade police.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of bum
Noun
  • Dylan Skolnick is returning as Director of the Cinema Arts Centre following protests and boycotts over his firing.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 8 Nov. 2026
  • According to reports, Russia’s early firings of the KN-23, which began in early 2024, were often inaccurate.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 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
  • Joyner, who will lead the new CVS Health company, took over as CEO in 2024 in the wake of layoffs, store closings and poor stock performance.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) also showed that gross hiring — job gains before subtracting people who quit or lost jobs — rose and layoffs fell in September.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of layoff
Verb
  • Rehire all the Black and women generals and admirals the secretary of war, who turned out to be bad at war, viciously axed.
    — Larry Wilson, Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The trio realized what was going on before Mickey and Manny could fully escape, leading to a shootout and one inmate with a serious grudge trying to ax Mickey to death.
    — Megan Vick, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of ax

Browse Nearby Words

furless
furlough
furloughed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Furlough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furlough. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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