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
Outside Washington, the classical music industry suffers the usual ups and downs, shocks and bumps, with layoffs at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and a reduced season ahead.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2026
In late 2024 and early 2025, following Nissan’s financial downturn that resulted in more than 9,000 global layoffs and a 20% reduction in manufacturing throughput, Nissan entered into merger negotiations with its Japanese industry counterpart.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The company raised prices across its product lines and cut expenses out of its marketing budget to absorb some of the tariff costs, but did not implement any layoffs, Stephen Woldenberg said.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The company also is seeking $235 million in savings, which comes on top of multiple rounds of layoffs and studio closures earlier this year.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
San Bernardino County has seen other mass layoffs recently.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The preliminary notices don’t guarantee layoffs.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
But the changes have fallen short of triggering mass layoffs.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
More about Lowe’s home improvement The hundreds of layoffs were disclosed ahead of Lowe’s fourth-quarter earnings call that’s expected this month.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2026
In late 2024 and early 2025, following Nissan’s financial downturn that resulted in more than 9,000 global layoffs and a 20% reduction in manufacturing throughput, Nissan entered into merger negotiations with its Japanese industry counterpart.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The company raised prices across its product lines and cut expenses out of its marketing budget to absorb some of the tariff costs, but did not implement any layoffs, Stephen Woldenberg said.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The company also is seeking $235 million in savings, which comes on top of multiple rounds of layoffs and studio closures earlier this year.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
San Bernardino County has seen other mass layoffs recently.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
The preliminary notices don’t guarantee layoffs.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 20 Feb. 2026
But the changes have fallen short of triggering mass layoffs.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
More about Lowe’s home improvement The hundreds of layoffs were disclosed ahead of Lowe’s fourth-quarter earnings call that’s expected this month.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoffs
Noun
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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
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The two dismissals this week come as both of those lawsuits had been set to go to trial in the next few weeks.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Curling, which started in Scotland but grew in popularity after being imported to Canada, where the game proved to be a perfect distraction during long, frigid winters on the plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan, has historically operated on a culture of trust and self-regulation.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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In regions with harsher winters, scheduling inspections before temperatures drop can help prevent electrical failures during periods when lighting and heating are especially essential.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Some of that information isn’t available to the public — firings and other disciplinary actions by employers, for instance, are confidential.—
Amber Gaudet
Updated February 20,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2026
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The Supreme Court ruling comes despite a series of short-term wins on the court’s emergency docket that have allowed Trump to push ahead with extraordinary flexes of executive power on issues ranging from high-profile firings to major federal funding cuts.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 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
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But other parts of the department, including the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office and significant parts of the cybersecurity and election-infrastructure offices, face furloughs, according to a person briefed on the plans.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
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Stephanie Ryder At the University of Washington, a top public university for biomedical research that relies on NIH money, administrators last year implemented a hiring freeze, travel restrictions and furloughs.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There were some lulls in the second half of the season, but the Seahawks rounded into form toward the end of the regular season.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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The segment was a gloriously chaotic tribute to Italy’s successes across the arts, and carried the tone even through slower lulls like a call for peace by rapper Ghali, featuring the aforementioned Theron cameo.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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John Merryman Redondo Beach As the NBA season breaks for All-Star weekend, there is one player who is single-handedly leading his fractured team to victory after victory, with his great scoring, passing and stout defense.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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When workers asked politicians in Miami-Dade County for a measure that would ensure basic protections like water and breaks, it was derailed by construction and agriculture lobbyists.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Layoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoffs. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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