1
as in dismissal
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily
even senior employees lost their jobs in the massive layoff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in winter
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness
after such a long layoff the boxer badly needed to get back into shape
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to stop
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of layoff
Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
That could be a signal that the pace of layoffs is accelerating.
—Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The company has been forced to jack up prices and lay off workers.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Noun
Without the money, a DPI spokesman said the department would need to consider layoffs.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
That could be a signal that the pace of layoffs is accelerating.
—Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
In her conversations with small-business owners, Higgins learned that some have been forced to reduce staff or lay off employees because several of their workers were TPS beneficiaries or were in the process of regularizing their paperwork.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The company has been forced to jack up prices and lay off workers.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
-
The latest rebuff of state overreach was the dismissal last week of the highly questionable felony case against respected Waukegan City Clerk Janet Kilkelly brought by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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The result is a drama of surprising universality, in which a well-to-do couple becomes the target of unjust dismissals and persecution for political wrongthink against the Turkish regime.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Make sure your car has at least half a tank of gas, and update your winter survival kit.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The dense stone serves as a sort of natural insulation that keeps interior temperatures cool in summer and warm in winter.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
From open models to real-world applications, China has shown that constraints have not stopped it from gaining ground.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
From there, James made second-team All-NBA the next season and didn’t stop landing on one of the three teams until this season.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Falcons finished 8-9, leading to the firings of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
And Denver now marches head-on into the offseason, coming off a year of inconsistent offense that resulted in the firing of previous offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With a loss Wednesday night to the New Orleans Pelicans and the middling middle ground will prove all too real, with the Heat entering that game at 28-27, with an eight-day All-Star break to follow.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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Milwaukee had made 40% of their 3-point attempts before the break and held the Magic to just 19% from distance.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
University of Arkansas men's basketball Coach John Calipari has ceased box-out drills.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Based on the timeline laid out by the district attorney’s office, all attempts to find Proctor ceased after Gascón was defeated by current Los Angeles County Dist.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Her medical furlough was initially to be for three weeks, but her time out of prison lengthened, possibly on account of activists and Western powers pushing Iran to keep her free.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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When Mitchell was released on probation in 2024, he was ordered to attend college in Sacramento and participate in a weekend furlough from juvenile hall, court records show.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The company says the trucks set an industry record by completing 200 battery swaps in a single day, highlighting the potential of its autonomous, battery-swapping technology to increase productivity and minimize downtime in large-scale mining operations.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Feb. 2026
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Some active seniors want downtime between adventures; others have health or mobility considerations or are traveling with less-active companions.—
Kathy Boardman,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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