1
as in dismissal
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily
even senior employees lost their jobs in the massive layoff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in winter
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness
after such a long layoff the boxer badly needed to get back into shape
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to stop
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of layoff
Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025
The layoffs come after the company scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program and reduced curbs on discussions around contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025
Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2025
Then in November, CVS Health Corp. notified the state that more than 40 additional people connected to the Hartford headquarters of Aetna will be laid off.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for layoff 
Noun
Increasing layoffs with seemingly no end paint a bleak picture for devs, while companies are busy pumping money into AI initiatives.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2025
The layoffs come after the company scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program and reduced curbs on discussions around contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, Nike laid off hundreds of employees, including senior executives.
Hill, who has over 30 years of experience at Nike, seemed to waste no time confronting the issues.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2025
Then in November, CVS Health Corp. notified the state that more than 40 additional people connected to the Hartford headquarters of Aetna will be laid off.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
-
The Saints went on a seven-game losing streak after that hot start which led to the eventual dismissal of Saints head coach Dennis Allen.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
The Athletic,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Spared in this round of dismissals, however, was Michael Horowitz, the longtime Justice Department inspector general who has issued reports on assorted politically explosive criminal investigations over the last decade.—
Zeke Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
This will be one of the first winter snowstorms of the season, Tardy said, following an earlier one that came on Jan. 7 from the north, and brought just a few inches of snow.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Rare winter storms have not only caused alligator brumation in Texas, but have also brought uncommon snow to Florida and Louisiana.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, D.C. has stopped its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, following an executive order by President Donald Trump to end these programs on Monday.—
Francesca Aton,
ARTnews.com,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich surprised the Ravens with an uncharacteristically aggressive game plan to stop running back Derrick Henry in the first half last week.—
Ted Nguyen,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Durbin previously criticized Trump for the firings.—
Ross O'Keefe,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Jan. 2025
-
And celebrating the firings of hard-working Americans on cable news shows, social media platforms, and in conservative policymaking venues is cruel.—
Shaun Harper,
TIME,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Rising costs:Why Americans paid so much more for health care in 2024 Need a break?—
Sriparna Roy,
USA TODAY,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Cool down after workouts, take adequate breaks between training sessions and get enough sleep.—
Dana Santas,
CNN,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
One of my favorite coffee shops, Cafe De Leche, which had the most peaceful sunny patio — perfect for reading and catching up with a friend — ceased to exist.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Production has ceased on Season 2 of the Big Talk Studios series about an 18th-century highway robber, putting a cast and crew of hundreds out of work with nothing to show for their efforts.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Israel denied a request to grant her a humanitarian furlough to attend the funeral.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Lawmakers reached a bipartisan agreement Tuesday on a continuing three-month resolution to prevent a shutdown and furlough thousands of federal employees over the holidays.—
George Petras,
USA TODAY,
20 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Instead of leaving downtime or machine failure up to chance, predictive maintenance tools allow manufacturers to get ahead of potential delays and damages, saving them both time and money.—
Bill Rokos,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Working parents may not be able to carve out the time needed for things like unstructured play or simply enjoying downtime with their kids.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
21 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to layoff
Thesaurus Entries Near layoff
Cite this Entry
“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share