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
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
And Amazon announced its own layoffs Wednesday.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The company has been forced to jack up prices and lay off workers.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Noun
This rises to 73% of those in tech roles, where layoffs have been most rampant.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
And Amazon announced its own layoffs Wednesday.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
In her conversations with small-business owners, Higgins learned that some have been forced to reduce staff or lay off employees because several of their workers were TPS beneficiaries or were in the process of regularizing their paperwork.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The company has been forced to jack up prices and lay off workers.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
-
Mathieu played just two collegiate seasons before his dismissal in 2012 and subsequent entry into a drug rehabilitation program.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
At Rufus King International Middle School, students must store their phones in a vault each morning and retrieve them at dismissal.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Just about every corner of North America has experienced a super-sized helping of continentality in this winter’s weather.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Caslon Cashmere Crewneck Sweater At $77, this sweater proves that adding cashmere to your winter wardrobe isn’t the intimidating investment it’s made out to be.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Contraceptives acting on spermatogenesis take a few weeks to kick in, and fertility takes a few weeks to return when a man stops using them.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Either way, Mahomes’ reaction, and reportedly Belichick’s, doesn’t stop there.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The board’s firing of then-Superintendent Marie Feagins just months into her tenure led to White and Taylor filing takeover legislation last year.—
Bri Hatch,
Chalkbeat,
26 Jan. 2026
-
His hiring comes less than two weeks after Herbert fell to 0-3 in the playoffs following a 16-3 AFC wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, resulting in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s firing.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
When down 0-40 in the third game of the match after an exchange of breaks, Rybakina was able to serve her way out of trouble, helped by a first of 11 aces.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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But the Wolves shot 65% from the field in the second quarter to lead by 15 at the break and never looked back, building a lead of as many as 32 points.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cardozo added that all milking operations have ceased, and some beef and non-lactating dairy cattle are still grazing.—
Richard Halstead,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Désirée Zamorano Writer and educator Désirée Zamorano recalls the intensity of the time surrounding the Eaton fire last year, bookended by political stress, which hasn’t ceased.—
Erica Zora Wrightson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The furlough affects about 40% of the 406 employees who work at the western Massachusetts facility, where partially assembled car shells shipped from China are outfitted for service on the Red and Orange Lines.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Russian data show unpaid wages nearly tripled in October from a year ago to more than $27 million, with furloughs and shorter workweeks becoming more common.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The company says this approach can support sustainability goals by reducing inefficiencies tied to excess vehicles, downtime, and energy use.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Matchmaking will be disabled 30 minutes before downtime begins.—
Robbie Farias,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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