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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If a person with HIV stops taking ART, the virus begins spreading again.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
13 Apr. 2026 -
The future of the investigation is uncertain, as the committee often stops investigating when lawmakers resign.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officials discussed both diplomatic and economic measures their countries could implement now and after the fighting ceases to help secure the shipping route, according to NPR's Fatima Al-Kassab.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
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In a different scenario, assigned a probability of 60%, the conflict ceases at the end of this month and oil prices fall quickly.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Creating that kind of structure, Manning suggests, is essential to easing the pressure teachers carry long after the school day ends.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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The company in the new agreement removed the biggest obstacle — the right to keep workers for at least three hours after their shift ends at its discretion — from their proposal Local 12775 Vice President Vern Beck told the Post-Tribune Friday.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay, which immediately halts most collection actions, including garnishment.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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And even if Israel halts its strikes on Iran, there’s no guarantee Tehran will reciprocate.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 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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Each one of those, in this quantum theory, breaks off into another block of cheese.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
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State officials compared the project to Boise’s Flying Wye, where the I-184 Connector breaks off from I-84 west of downtown Boise.—
Hali Smith,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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This device recognizes when nature brings the water that your lawn needs and shuts off automatic sprinklers.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Johnson isn’t the only men’s fashion outfit to call it quits recently.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
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By 1995, the couple decided to call it quits.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2026.
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