LAYING OFF Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

laying off

verb

present participle of lay off

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying off

Verb

As the company navigates fierce critics and a wave of communities outside the Atlanta area ending their contracts, Flock has been tightening some standards on its own, nationwide.

— Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Jones later threw an interception in the end zone from the Georgia 3, ending any chance for a miraculous comeback with five minutes to go in the third.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of ending

Verb

Cornerbacks Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum had Tampa Bay's other picks, with the last turnover stopping a second-half drive in Bucs territory when Atlanta still had an opportunity to get back into the game.

— CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
At the rear, stopping duties are handled by a 230-mm disc and a two-piston caliper, also using 27-mm pistons.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of stopping

Verb

Those steps include halting any activity that contributed to the discovery until tribal communities are consulted.

— Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 2 Nov. 2026
Eisenkot seen as an antidote to Netanyahu Eisenkot has halting English and comes from a working-class family.

— Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of halting

Verb

Without natural sand reaching the beaches, high tides and large surf have resulted in entire beaches being covered with water, cutting off access.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Deadhead blazing star during the growing season to encourage more flowering, but do not prune too soon, as cutting off the foliage may reduce next year’s blooms.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of cutting off

Verb

The Rams came out strong to start the second half, Corum breaking off a 23-yard touchdown run for a 17-9 lead.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Walker turned the corner around a defender near the sideline, breaking off a 76-yard run to get Kansas City near the Las Vegas goal line.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of breaking off

Verb

Changing spending habits Other Democratic megadonors are simply cutting out the middleman, picking individual races and candidates to support.

— Luke Fountain, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
The specialists also restored the painting’s linden wood frame by cutting out over 100 missing fragments from it and covering it with gold leaf.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of cutting out

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.

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“Laying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20off. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of laying off

verb

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