as in ending
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying off
Verb
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After ending the third quarter with an eight-point advantage, the Hornets broke the game open by outscoring the Heat 40-18 in the fourth quarter.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026 -
Other locations will see snow ending tonight.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Leave the resort to dine at Sunset Mona Lisa, a neighboring cliffside terrace where Mediterranean-leaning plates play second fiddle to the show-stopping tangerine-pink sunsets.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
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Arizona's prosecution comes shortly after Kalshi filed preemptive civil actions against Utah, Iowa and the Grand Canyon State in hopes of stopping those states from acting against the platform.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Treasury says ceasing penny production will save $56 million annually, but rounding could increase demand for nickels.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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The Treasury says ceasing penny production will save $56 million annually, but rounding could increase demand for nickels.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An agreement halting the executions of nine Georgia inmates on death row during the coronavirus pandemic shouldn’t keep them alive anymore, the state’s solicitor general argued Wednesday to the Georgia Supreme Court, the AJC’s Rosie Manins reports.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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The measure halting the gradual raises approved by the City Council in 2023 passed in a 30-to-18 vote, leaving its supporters four aldermen short of the supermajority needed to overturn a Johnson veto.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The United Arab Emirates is considering cutting off Iranian access to billions of dollars held in the Gulf state, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
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And people very quickly begin to think about cutting off electricity, cutting off water, damage to their cities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If someone becomes trapped by suction, shutting off the pump can release the pressure immediately.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Kuwait, Iraq, and the UAE are shutting off wells as storage tanks overflow.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tonga provides an immediate upgrade there, and, at worst, should take some pressure off a secondary that too often had to play superhero on the back end to prevent opposing running backs from breaking off big gains.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Vrabel first held a press conference at a podium inside the Indiana Convention Center before breaking off into a less formal side session with local reporters later.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The physician recommends that first responders start by focusing on three small, attainable measures, such as hitting a protein goal, cutting out alcohol or starting a strength-training routine.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Live Nation was reportedly talking with other DOJ officials outside of the antitrust division looking to settle, though the case proceeded after Subramanian denied Live Nation’s motion to dismiss the case last month while cutting out some claims to narrow the suit.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Laying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20off. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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