lie off

verb

lay off; lain off; lying off; lies off

intransitive verb

1
: to hold back in the early part of a race
2
: to keep a little away from the shore or another ship
3
: to cease work for a time

Examples of lie off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Just off Buoy No. 2, the Coast Guard hailed us again and told us to tie up to the Cleta, a commercial fishing vessel that was lying off the bar, and to save our gas and await our chance to be piloted in. Orval C. Johnson, Outdoor Life, 31 Oct. 2024 Just a couple weeks ago, Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio announced plans to cut 10 academic programs and lay off 28 employees. Chris Muller, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 The spike in interest rates elicited gloomy forecasts of a recession from many economists, since high interest rates typically weigh on economic activity, causing businesses to slow investment and lay off workers. Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2024 Struggling to make debt payments, tribal officials soon were forced to slash spending for essential programs on the reservation and lay off dozens of employees. Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lie off 

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lie off was in 1573

Dictionary Entries Near lie off

Cite this Entry

“Lie off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20off. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!