lays off

verb

present tense third-person singular of lay off
as in stops
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end you need to lay off eating those jelly doughnuts, or you'll end up looking like one

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays off
  1. stops
  2. ceases
  3. ends
  4. halts
  5. cuts off
  6. breaks off
  7. shuts off
  8. quits
Verb
  • Vehicle stops can be inherently fraught and unpredictable, with the person behind the wheel in control of thousands of pounds of steel that can pose great risk should a driver refuse to comply or simply panic and flee.
    — Caroll Alvarado, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Additionally, one source said that ICE officers can conduct some vehicle stops during the pause but only in the presence of a local law enforcement officer trained to make vehicle stops that partners with ICE under the agency's 287(g) program.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of stops
Verb
  • This is not only devastating because Aang appears fatally injured, but because if an Avatar dies in the Avatar State, the entire cycle of Avatar reincarnation ceases and the earth’s balance is forever lost.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • What is surprising—indeed, almost shocking—is when a particular fashion ceases to change.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
Definition of ceases
Verb
  • Once the eclipse ends, this rugged headland becomes an excellent place to watch the Perseids, with broad ocean views and little interference from nearby towns.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 July 2026
  • The last step is acknowledging that there’s never really any dragon, even or any moment when the journey ends.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of ends
Verb
  • Kansas Appleseed, Loud Light and the Disability Rights Center of Kansas sued over the repeal of the grace period and Douglas County District Court Judge Carl Folsom granted an injunction that halts the new law and restores the grace period.
    — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
  • This blocks defects and halts ion migration, preventing the material from separating over time.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of halts
Verb
  • Architects must build a central kill switch that instantly cuts off the AI if an anomaly occurs.
    — Naveen Jayaram, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Becoming an upper-middle-income country also cuts off development funding from organizations like the World Bank.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Definition of cuts off
Verb
  • According to the reports, the malfunctions occurred during the ride's signature ‘tilt' portion, where the segment of track containing the ride vehicle breaks off completely and tilts forward 45 degrees before reconnecting to another piece of track at a 90-degree angle to the ground below.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
  • If the mouthpiece breaks off, try to remove it without digging into the skin.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026
Definition of breaks off
Verb
  • In cool mode, the fan often stays on while the compressor shuts off, which continuously drains power just to push room-temperature air.
    — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 21 June 2026
  • Sena says the headlight automatically shuts off after 10 minutes in a bid to preserve battery life.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2026
Definition of shuts off
Verb
  • However, consumers and retailers shouldn’t call it quits on big fits just yet.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 24 June 2026
  • This solution could even be moved from space to space as needed, though that would involve more hefting than most of us would be happy undertaking more than a few times before calling it quits.
    — Paul Ridden June 22, New Atlas, 22 June 2026
Definition of quits
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.

Browse Nearby Words

lays into
lays off
lays off (of)
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Cite this Entry

“Lays off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20off. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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