lay off (of)

verb

Definition of lay off (of)next
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)
  1. abandon
  2. discontinue
  3. quit
  4. drop
Verb
  • The boxing ring metaphor was largely abandoned once the competition began, even though there were more opportunities to mix baseball’s tradition of walkup music with fight sports’ swaggering walkouts.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
  • Critics of the deal hope that the lawsuit will force Paramount to abandon its merger dreams altogether, though that seems hard to imagine, and would leave WBD in a weak position.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of abandon
Verb
  • In 2018, the distillery discontinued that 6-year-old bourbon and replaced it with a 7-year-old version with a higher price tag and new packaging.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 July 2026
  • The coffee giant recently brought back its S’mores Frappuccino, which debuted in 2015 and was discontinued six years ago.
    — Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Definition of discontinue
Verb
  • Trinity head coach Aaron Lineweaver also backtracked on a claim, saying Meredith didn’t quit the team in the hearing.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
  • New York Times Gen X bosses are disengaging, while Gen Z talent is quitting.
    — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Definition of quit
Verb
  • The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 July 2026
  • New episodes drop on Tuesday evenings, with the finale landing on July 14.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 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

“Lay off (of).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20off%20%28of%29. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All