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
Verb
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The city’s easy-to-use tram system has stops just two blocks away.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026 -
Four stops along the way offer free refreshments from highlighted local businesses.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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With a simple pair of black flats and a light sweater draped over her shoulders, her light blue satin slip dress ceases to be reserved for special occasions.—
Michel Mejía,
Glamour,
30 May 2026
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Once delivery becomes observable, the human response layer ceases to be a black box.—
Judit Sharon,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Voting for the mall ends June 1.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
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Fans who fear Major League Baseball is headed toward a work stoppage because the collective-bargaining agreement ends later this year could not have liked the events of the past week.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Not necessarily that the basketball becomes easier, but each minute is so tense, both teams are so focused and each possession is so tight that the winner is often decided by which team — or player — can execute when the game halts to a grind.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
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Cooper’s ruling halts those plans for now.—
Collin Binkley,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Verb
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As the rocket’s core stage cuts off, the zero G indicator will begin to float, identifying the moment when the crew is officially in space.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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Turning your phone off or using airplane mode cuts off wireless communication while still allowing alarms to work.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That Sun team, led by Tina Charles, is beating the breaks off the Sparks.—
Kiese Laymon,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
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Each one of those, in this quantum theory, breaks off into another block of cheese.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So nothing shuts off overnight.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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This shuts off the engine at stoplights or when idling, and restarts it once the accelerator is pressed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Davis rooms with his childhood friends Kel (Nicholas Duvernay), who quits medical school in the premiere to pursue his dream of acting, and Josh (Jack Martin), a journalist whose idealism and sense of ethics do not extend to using his media CEO dad to land a gig as a PA on a news show.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
2 June 2026
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Ali subsequently quits recovery treatment, donning military dress to have a fatal strip-club standoff with Alamo.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lays off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20off. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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