1
as in dismissal
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily
even senior employees lost their jobs in the massive layoff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in winter
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness
after such a long layoff the boxer badly needed to get back into shape
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to stop
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of layoff
Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2026
Armstrong said the layoffs, which may affect about 700 employees, are partly due to a crypto downturn.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Nick Lentz, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Content aggregator Digg, which was in beta ahead of its comeback, was recently forced to pause operations and lay off staff in response to the horde of bots on its platform.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Noun
One major company’s latest layoffs disproportionately targeted employees with unvested stock options.
—Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2026
Armstrong said the layoffs, which may affect about 700 employees, are partly due to a crypto downturn.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Verb
Several railcars from a Canadian National Railway train lay off the tracks north of Warroad, Minnesota, after a train derailment on March 28, 2026.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Content aggregator Digg, which was in beta ahead of its comeback, was recently forced to pause operations and lay off staff in response to the horde of bots on its platform.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
-
Fani, who remains an associate professor, claimed his dismissal followed pressure from pro-Israel groups.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
At the time of his death, the 53-year-old president was enmeshed in a constitutional crisis over his tenure, and his ruling by decree following his dismissal of the Parliament.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Both are durable, standing up to the summer heat and rains, often lasting well into late fall or early winter.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
The winter had been a season of calamities, with one emergency or challenge after another.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
This $20 maxi dress is versatile enough to serve multiple occasions and seasons—and shoppers can’t stop buying multiples of them.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
-
Goalkeeper Isabell Ikirt stopped a shot by Oconee County’s Sydney Jackson, prompting celebration by Jefferson, but the Dragons were told Ikirt had come off the line.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Daskalakis, who quit the CDC last summer in protest of the firing of its director at the time, Susan Monarez, raised some concern about the prospects of such infections.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
11 May 2026
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Kornberg said the town's attorney, Bryan Rayburn, told the council the officers' firings hadn't followed the town charter, which requires 30 days' notice be given before employees can be suspended or removed.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Clave Especial is finally taking a break.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Gonzalez Rogers thanked the jurors for their contributions, and then everyone filed out for a break.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
During his temporary leadership, FEMA ceased door-to-door canvassing to reach survivors after disasters, and canceled a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program, since restored by a federal judge.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
The 47,000-square-foot store has been vacant since last June, when retail operations ceased following parent company Kroger’s decision to close several Chicago-area and suburban stores.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Sade is in prison and is staying with Mina while on a three-day furlough, which provides a neat framework for their reunion.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
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In December 2024, she had been granted a medical furlough from prison due to her ongoing poor health.—
Anastasia Tsioulcas,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Trueno spoke to Rolling Stone about his love for contrasting moods, his collaboration with emerging rapper Milo J, and the downtime rituals that keep his sanity intact.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
9 May 2026
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As the Western New York metropolis awakens again, people have come to realize that all that downtime helped preserve the city’s classic architecture.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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