LAID OFF Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

laid off

verb

past tense of lay off

as in stopped

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end you need to lay off eating those jelly doughnuts, or you'll end up looking like one

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for laid off

Verb

But the stronger signal is commercial—Jurin has grown almost entirely on inbound interest, having stopped cold outreach in late 2024.

— Jurin AI Contributor, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Daria said immigration officers stopped her mother before their flight and took her into custody, despite her asylum application still being under review.

— Itay Hod, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of stopped

Verb

The National Labor Reform Party collapsed, Davis ended up with exactly one electoral vote, and the National Labor Union ceased to exist after 1873.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Studies suggest Imperial Japan’s sardine catch declined drastically and even ceased during the early 1940s, constraining the empire’s military power relying on fisheries resources.

— Pei-Hsu Lin, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of ceased

Verb

Competitions were canceled, horse racing fixtures abandoned and international horse transports halted.

— Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
After decades of controversy, construction at Yucca Mountain was halted and to this day no permanent solution has been devised for America’s 90,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of halted

Verb

Trade routes such as the East-West pipeline in Saudi Arabia depend on export via tankers in the Red Sea, some analysts said, meaning any potential escalation of fighting in that area could shut off its viability as an alternative trade route.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
The wars in the Gulf and Ukraine have essentially shut off some of the world’s key passageways for global commodities, while extended droughts have restricted travel through the key arteries such as the Panama Canal.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of shut off

Verb

Investigators also found signs of metal fatigue at the base of the fan blade that broke off, despite recent inspections of the fan blades.

— Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
In March 2023, for instance, Honduras broke off formal relations with Taiwan and established ties with Beijing.

— Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of broke off

Verb

Now, the bill can move forward where the previous version left off.

— Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Ozlo Sleepbuds picked up where Bose left off The first Ozlo Sleepbuds retained the tiny, sleep-specific form factor and noise-masking approach associated with Bose but expanded what the earbuds could do.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of left off

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.

Browse Nearby Words

laid into

laid off

laid off (of)

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“Laid off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laid%20off. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of laid off

verb

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