1
as in dismissals
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 winters
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of layoffs
Yuga Labs has gone through several rounds of layoffs, and is hardly the darling of the tech world anymore, which has moved on to AI startups.
—
Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The publication was again paused in the fall due to the government shutdown and layoffs of MMWR staff, which were later reversed.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
Zeeshan Bakhrani’s life after layoffs has a lot more cooking in it.
—Sarah Jackson
mickey Todiwala, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
The layoffs add to Hollywood’s ongoing workforce reductions, with Sony Pictures also announcing significant cuts as media companies restructure amid industrywide pressures.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet, 69% are planning layoffs this year.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
The state issues monthly WARN reports, which include information about affected employers and their layoffs or plant closures.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The layoffs followed the school’s earlier decision to shut down the Lincoln secondary program at the end of the school year, citing low enrollment and ongoing budget deficits.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Higher energy prices due to the Iran war could push firms to curb hiring later this year and potentially boost layoffs, James McCann, senior economist of investment strategy at Edward Jones, said in an email ahead of the government's latest jobs readout.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The publication was again paused in the fall due to the government shutdown and layoffs of MMWR staff, which were later reversed.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
Zeeshan Bakhrani’s life after layoffs has a lot more cooking in it.
—Sarah Jackson
mickey Todiwala, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
The layoffs add to Hollywood’s ongoing workforce reductions, with Sony Pictures also announcing significant cuts as media companies restructure amid industrywide pressures.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet, 69% are planning layoffs this year.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
The state issues monthly WARN reports, which include information about affected employers and their layoffs or plant closures.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The layoffs followed the school’s earlier decision to shut down the Lincoln secondary program at the end of the school year, citing low enrollment and ongoing budget deficits.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Higher energy prices due to the Iran war could push firms to curb hiring later this year and potentially boost layoffs, James McCann, senior economist of investment strategy at Edward Jones, said in an email ahead of the government's latest jobs readout.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoffs
Noun
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The Justice Department has appealed the Oregon, California and Michigan dismissals.—
Rebecca Boone,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Many of these dismissals were a result of the difference between what police need to arrest and what prosecutors need to prove guilt — which is a much higher burden, said DA spokesperson Mike Stolp.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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If your area experiences cold winters, bring them indoors in autumn, either emptied of their annuals, cleaned and stored, or still housing tropicals, evergreens or herbs, and treat them as houseplants over winter.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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In wet winters, the valleys beyond town awaken in color as sand verbena, desert sunflower, evening primrose and pincushion gather in brief, luminous blooms across the desert floor.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The last of those engine firings is due to take place April 10, about five hours before the final push through Earth's atmosphere begins.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Many say these chiefs were doing exceptional work in the community to improve public safety, and believe their firings are a result of speaking out against the city manager.—
Gabriela Vidal,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The average response time for phone calls dropped to 6 minutes from 30 minutes in the prior fiscal year; field office wait times decreased to 23 minutes; and removal of online service downtimes has benefited an additional 125,000 users in a single week, according to the agency's findings.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
That is why programs allowing supervised or monitored furloughs exist.—
Sean Garcia Leys,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The furloughs were part of a slew of measures taken to try to help bridge the deficit gap.—
Brian Maass,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Referring to the decline in permits approved, ECMC Director Julie Murphy said there were lulls as everyone adjusted course.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
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Acting in a movie involves a lot of waiting around, too—as the crew repositions cameras and adjusts the lighting, among other things—and those lulls provided me with plenty of time to feel queasy with anxiety.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When the news breaks of faraway civilian casualties — an erroneous air strike on a school that relied on outdated intelligence, for example — the mind takes refuge in abstractions and statistics.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
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By the Sea also deducted pay for meal breaks even if the workers didn’t take a meal break.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Layoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoffs. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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