layoffs

noun

plural of layoff
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

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 As a result, German autoworker layoffs are now higher than during the global financial crisis of 2008–9 or the COVID pandemic, forcing German and European business associations to call for unprecedentedly stringent local content requirements. — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 At a time when Maryland’s workforce has been uniquely targeted by federal layoffs, Moore has remained focused on creating jobs, attracting investment and building an economy that can compete for the future. — Derrick Whiting, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026 In the press release, the company was adamant that the transition wouldn’t lead to layoffs. — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026 That cost millions of layoffs, but helped propel China to overtake Japan as the second-largest economy behind the United States in 2010. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 The layoffs affected departments across the museum, including programs, development, and exhibitions, and leave the total staff count at 118. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Casar has been on a media blitz pitching progressives’ AI proposals, which have ranged from a ban on AI superintelligence to a tax on the technology to pay for a jobs program that offsets related layoffs. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Among Gen Xers and baby boomers who experienced layoffs at least once, a whopping 24% were not able to find a new job. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026 But on a more serious note, part of this did involve a number of layoffs. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoffs
  1. dismissals
  2. winters
  3. firings
  4. downtimes
  5. furloughs
  6. lulls
  7. breaks
Noun
  • Moreover, about half of California’s public safety turnover was due to workers retiring to take their pension benefits, not to resignations or dismissals.
    — Mariana Trujillo, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The true drama in the faction has centered around Morgan’s dismissals of Perez, the group’s young star who has all the potential in the world to be a world champion one day.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissals
Noun
  • In addition, El Niño winters tend to be milder and drier than average in parts of the Midwest.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The map below compares snowfall during moderate-to-strong El Niño winters, which is expected this year.
    — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of winters
Noun
  • Speaking in the Great Hall at the DOJ headquarters in Washington, Blanche praised career employees and sought to reassure a workforce depleted by firings and resignations and bruised by courtroom setbacks and accusations of political interference.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Blanche will do so with an agency that has been hollowed out by resignations, firings and voluntary departures while also confronting mounting pushback from the courts.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of firings
Noun
  • When everyone from operators to engineers and managers are able to discuss yields, downtimes, reworks and even traceability in terms of factual data, discussions can become significantly more fruitful.
    — Ihor Yurchenko, Forbes.com, 28 May 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
  • The district could be forced into hiring freezes, spending restrictions, furloughs, program reductions or massive midyear layoffs after students have already formed relationships with their teachers and support staff.
    — Angel Gutierrez, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Police, firefighters, paramedics, and 911 employees are exempt from the furloughs.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 30 June 2026
Definition of furloughs
Noun
  • Parties have exploited lulls in fighting to buy time, rebuild capabilities and consolidate political or territorial gains ahead of the next round of conflict.
    — Anthony Wanis-St John, The Conversation, 10 July 2026
  • Getty Images There are lulls on the PGA Tour calendar, and this is one of those heading into the John Deere Classic this weekend.
    — Jeff Hartman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of lulls
Noun
  • If breaks develop in the clouds, even a few hours of clearing could provide a good viewing window.
    — Joe Ruch, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Warts, on the other hand, are caused by a virus that gets into the skin via cuts or breaks, and this virus turns into rough bumps on the skin—often on hands or the soles of the feet.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of breaks

Browse Nearby Words

lay off (of)
layoffs
lay on
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Cite this Entry

“Layoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoffs. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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