layoff 1 of 2

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

Relevance

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

lay off

2 of 2

verb

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 layoff
Noun
Undeterred — and despite a three-year layoff — Cahill signed with the independent Gastonia Ghost Peppers in June. Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025 Amazon's stores, communications, and devices and services divisions also got hit with layoffs earlier this year. Samantha Subin, CNBC, 18 July 2025
Verb
On Thursday, Indeed laid off roughly 1,300 employees at the company, as well as sister brand Glassdoor. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 July 2025 Ben Rice laid off a 3-2 slider that was well outside of the strike zone to walk and load the bases with two outs. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
  • The Justice Department’s dismissal of the charges comes as Moore started a 15-day trial earlier this week in Salt Lake City, Utah.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump’s potential dismissal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is a major and underpriced risk that could trigger a selloff in the US dollar and Treasuries, a Deutsche Bank AG strategist said.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • Adding a player with multiple years of control at a reasonable cost — both in terms of contract size and prospects given up — would improve the 2025 team while also reducing the free-agent needs this upcoming winter.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 11 July 2025
  • An unusually warm winter had Midwestern maple syrup producers scrambling in 2024, while pinching drought has hit pumpkins, along with many other crops, across the West.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • The toddler stopped crying about 15 minutes after she had been put down for a nap.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
  • The black box stopped recording a few seconds later.
    Clara McMichael, ABC News, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • The firings come as Bondi and the agency have come under fire for not releasing any further information on the department’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
    Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Supported Trump firing of more than a dozen inspectors general.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • Say the weekend prior to the final weekend prior to the All-Star break.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Live With Kelly & Mark took a temporary break from morning TV spiciness to douse the flames of their typically steamy 9 a.m. passions with the tears of longtime producer Michael Gelman.
    EW.com, EW.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Nissan Stadium's weather policy states that if lightning strikes within eight miles of the stage, the venue must cease the concert and ask show-goers to shelter in place.
    Melonee Hurt, The Tennessean, 18 July 2025
  • Parrot Jungle ceased operations in Pinecrest and its birds and staff made the move to Miami with the opening of Jungle Island in 2003.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • On June 10, Kelly filed an emergency motion for temporary furlough, claiming there is explicit evidence that officials solicited an inmate to murder him while in custody at a federal penitentiary in North Carolina.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 June 2025
  • The judge had released him from jail on a medical furlough in 2018 due to a cancer diagnosis and other medical issues.
    Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Things got better for Deschanel from then on with the help of Hanson, who made sure to get her a bigger trailer for more privacy, and more downtime to work on lines.
    EW.com, EW.com, 12 July 2025
  • Still, several weeks of downtime is unusual for a factory that makes GM’s most popular models.
    Mike Colias, Freep.com, 11 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on layoff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!