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 Twenty-two percent of chief financial officers surveyed by Mercer in February said the high price of health benefits had forced them to stop hiring or led to layoffs. — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 That’s partly due to low layoffs and a still-solid labor market, though low-income households are feeling the pain of price hikes and mounting debt more so than their high-income counterparts, who have benefited from a resilient stock market. — Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 16 July 2026 Though they have been notified of their layoffs, all 26 remain employed by Meta, with separations set to begin July 22. — Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 15 July 2026 Menlo Park social media giant Meta is accused in a lawsuit filed this week of using artificial intelligence to target employees for layoffs who had taken medical, disability or maternity leave. — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 15 July 2026 Thursday’s layoffs data showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which softens some of the week-to-week swings, fell by 3,750 to 218,750. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 Such notices are required by federal law during mass layoffs. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026 Not the layoffs, the mergers, the rampant unemployment, and the fear that comes with it — all of that and more unreservedly sucks. — Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoffs

Noun

That led to a number of dismissals, including coach Massimiliano Allegri.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 June 2026
What is particularly concerning about these firings is the effect the dismissals will have on the officer ranks.

— William H. McRaven, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026

Definition of dismissals

Noun

The hearing arrived at a tumultuous time for the Justice Department, with mass firings and resignations hollowing out the workforce and Democrats and other critics raising alarms that Blanche is still functioning as the president’s personal lawyer.

— Eric Tucker, Fortune, 15 July 2026
Kids who grew up near those hills remember the rumble and roar of Rocketdyne testing another rocket engine and the cloudbanks of smoke from the test firings.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 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

Police, firefighters, paramedics, and 911 employees are exempt from the furloughs.

— Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 30 June 2026
The savings the city will get from the unpaid worker furloughs during the first year of the deal — the new fiscal year starting July 1 — nearly covers the cost of the 2% raises and other benefits employees get that first year.

— David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 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

Soli said several heat safety measures are in place, including mandatory hydration breaks during games, additional hydration stations and medical staff on every field who will monitor conditions and shorten games by five to ten minutes a half.

— Ubah Ali, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Even a handful of movement breaks is enough to make a real difference.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 14 July 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 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of layoffs

noun

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