as in to abandon
to stop doing (something) permanently
we warned him to lay off of the cigarette smoking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay off (of)
Verb
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The Miami Hurricanes are at home, while the entire state of Indiana – save for some in West Lafayette – is content to abandon their homes to enjoy this unexpectedly stupefying playoff march.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026 -
Season One concludes with the Texas Tech geology graduate abandoning a well crew after tragedy strikes, only to achieve rapid success in his personal and work endeavors.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Supreme Court of New York subsequently ruled that the case be discontinued with prejudice, meaning that it cannot be filed again.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Jan. 2026
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Ion Gabriel previously worked for Marni and Sunnei and Marimekko — and ran his own footwear label dubbed Ion debuted in 2012 and discontinued in 2019.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And speaking of personal, the same CU faithful who called Seaton the next Penei Sewell 18 months ago are slamming him as a me-first, money-chasing hypocrite who quit on his team and his coach.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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The reality is, whether your kid makes it to the pros or is part of the 70% who quit before 13, every kid eventually plays their last game at some point.—
Jonathan Carone,
Parents,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Originally born in Colorado and raised in Colorado Springs, Good had just dropped her 6-year-old son off at school before being killed, according to the Associated Press.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lay off (of).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20off%20%28of%29. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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