layoff 1 of 2

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

lay off

2 of 2

verb

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
Noun
In fact, many successful freelancers started their journey after a layoff. Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025 In the last few years, labor market volatility and mass layoffs in industries like tech have additionally dropped many workers back into the job search unexpectedly. Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
However, a government spokesperson denied plans to lay off such a significant portion of the FHA’s workforce. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025 During his matchup against Adames, Verlander threw a breaking ball down-and-away that Adames laid off. Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
  • Danielle Sassoon, Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, resigned in refusal to carry out the Justice Department’s directive to file the dismissal.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The Houston Chronicle reported that NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston has informed employees still in their probationary period to prepare for dismissal.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Just a week earlier, Harlow had a prime role in opening Christian Siriano's fall/winter 2025 runway show at New York Fashion Week.
    KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Rather than scrutinize the fallout from the finale’s cliffhanger, which ended with the characters losing their shelter at the height of winter, the first episode of Season 3 reveals that the teenagers have survived into the spring.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Outside of suicide, the only way for a terminally ill person in Ohio to hasten their own death is to refuse life-prolonging treatments or to stop eating and drinking.
    Tim Botos, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Retirees who stop working at Full Retirement Age—currently 67—can receive a maximum monthly benefit of $4,018.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Congressional Democratic leaders called out the firings as a direct attempt to politicize the military.
    Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The abrupt firings have roiled the government and outraged critics who say workers in areas including nuclear security, forest fire prevention and bird flu response have been culled without warning.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The geographic break corresponded with a pivot in the photographer’s work.
    Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2025
  • That Gobert’s back injury was not resolved over the All-Star break is concerning, especially with a home-and-home back-to-back against Oklahoma City coming on Sunday and Monday.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The turmoil that enveloped the federal workforce over the last few days is unlikely to cease anytime soon as the U.S. government’s human resources agency considers how to fulfill Elon Musk ’s demands.
    Chris Megerian, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The news many in the film sector feared over the weekend is coming to pass as Technicolor has made the majority of its UK workforce redundant and the majority of its activities have ceased.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The most visible fruits of their efforts have been large reductions in force, or RIF in government-speak: layoffs, furloughs and terminations of thousands of Americans who work in the public sector.
    Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The cuts were achieved with furloughs, a hiring freeze on existing positions and the elimination of some vacant court positions, according to the court’s news release.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • For instance, a better configuration or network setup is enough to reduce security costs, minimize downtime risk, and foster more effective protection.
    Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Align technology upgrades with strategic business goals, such as reducing downtime, improving scalability or enabling real-time analytics.
    Amey Banarse, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on layoff

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!