LAYOFFS Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

layoffs

noun

plural of layoff

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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.

Recent Examples of layoffs Channel 4 declined to comment beyond Wednesday’s statement about the layoffs. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026 Slightly fewer Americans filed for unemployment claims last week as jobless claims remain at historically low levels and layoffs are still relatively rare. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 The layoffs were part of a larger cost-cutting effort at Microsoft, which is laying off about 2% of its workforce in total. — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 For two years, some of the loudest voices on AI have spoken on white-collar layoffs, vanishing entry-level jobs, and a generation of graduates shut out. — Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026 All the positions are vacant, meaning there will be no layoffs. — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026 That news motivated workers to make layoffs a key issue during negotiations, according to the CWA. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 Permanent employment fell from 84 people at the end of 2025 to 58 in June, which Spinnova attributed to prolonged temporary layoffs at Woodspin and Spinnova Refining and subsequent resignations. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026 Just two years ago, Albemarle outlined $750 million in cost-cutting measures including layoffs and project postponements amid plummeting EV sales. — Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoffs

Noun

Editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and reporter Lara Korte at Stars and Stripes – a military news outlet that is partially funded by the Pentagon – claimed their dismissals were retaliatory and violated the First Amendment.

— Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Jeremiah Johnson, vice president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, said asylum rates appear to be one factor, but the dismissals cannot be attributed to a single reason.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismissals

Noun

These are tough animals, capable of surviving severe weather, although extended and bitterly cold winters may cause some mortality.

— Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Since the winters are harsh in PA, Maruca went looking for something that could get around a little easier.

— Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of winters

Noun

Soon, an Angels’ season filled with firings, turmoil and loss after loss after loss will come to its merciful conclusion.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
But in the months since, a series of lawsuits stemming from these firings and other legal actions have cost taxpayers millions in settlements as the ripple effects of Kirk's death spread.

— Angele Latham, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of firings

Noun

These trends often materialize in batch changeovers, supplier changes, line downtimes and traceability challenges.

— Ihor Yurchenko, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of downtimes

Noun

Organized by Hospitality Indiana (formerly the Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association), the two-week promotion runs twice a year to boost business at local restaurants that typically experience lulls during those periods.

— Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2026
At their worst, defensive secondary lapses and occasional offensive lulls kept opponents in games longer than necessary.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of lulls

Noun

Is there an argument to be made that John Schneider is doing an amazing job this year amid injuries, tough breaks and high expectations from the Jays faithful?

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
With a solid 120-hertz refresh rate, gaming during breaks feels as smooth as ever.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of breaks

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lay off (of)

layoffs

lay on

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“Layoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoffs. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of layoffs

noun

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