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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There’s a long inner liner that stops a few inches short of the hem, offering calf-length coverage.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026 -
If Chipotle stops producing them, these chairs might appreciate to become a solid investment.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Such desires can persist even after the reward itself ceases to be pleasurable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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Once the prisoner ceases his danse macabre, the crowd goes wild.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the movie ends when Cathy dies, distraught and brokenhearted over Heathcliff and having starved herself during her pregnancy.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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When the sun moves away from the node, the season ends, and eclipses become impossible again.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Stanton demonstrates his battery by shorting the coils, which halts the pendulum due to the magnetic field’s braking effect.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Should any of these conditions not be met, the contract halts and notifies all relevant parties.—
Matthew Kayser,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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The drug cuts off access to vitamin A in the testes by blocking a receptor known as RAR alpha.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mahama breaks off in exasperation.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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The scene where ‘80s teen Marty McFly borrows a scooter from a bewildered ‘50s kid and breaks off the handles to make a skateboard is one of the film’s most iconic moments.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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Heybike has included several safety features like a magnetic kill switch that shuts off the power if the rider disconnects from the bike, a reverse assist that helps you back out of tight places, and throttle reset protection, which guards against unintentional launches.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The singer refused to flat-out say the Eagles are calling it quits.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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But the daughter of late feminist and civil rights activist Roxcy Bolton isn’t ready to call it quits just yet.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 2026.
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