LAY OFF (OF) Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

lay off (of)

verb

Definition of lay off (of)

as in to abandon

to stop doing (something) permanently we warned him to lay off of the cigarette smoking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay off (of)

Verb

To reach the quarterfinals in New York, Zheng had to accept her newfound station in tennis — not to abandon her confidence for the sake of humility, but to combine her natural self-belief with acceptance of her reality and a new perspective.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Masson credited the town’s surveillance cameras with capturing the fleeing pair abandoning at least one of the paintings and the city’s police force with a quick response.

— News Desk, Artforum, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of abandon

Verb

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest foldable smartphone vendor, launched a tri-fold device in December but reportedly discontinued sales after three months.

— Reuters, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026
As part of the plans, Tan may also consider discontinuing some low-margin product lines and letting go of a few more employees, the report adds.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of discontinue

Verb

Doves love to concentrate on a power line and then drop into a field.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Even those inside Newcastle United were questioning the commitment and focus of some of their star players last season, when a staggering 27 points were dropped from winning positions.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of drop

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

lay off

lay off (of)

layoffs

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lay off (of).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20off%20%28of%29. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of lay off (of)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

hobnob

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes