Synonyms of layoff

layoff 1 of 2

noun

ˈlā-ˌȯf 

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

• dismissal
• firing
• furlough
• axe
• ax
• discharge
• redundancy
• downsizing
• shutdown
• closing
• sack
• boot
• pink slip
• shakeout
• heave-ho
• bird
• bum's rush
• shake-up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reemployment
• recall
• callback
• rehiring
• rehire

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

• winter
• break
• downtime
• lull
• time-out
• interruption
• suspension
• pause
• breath
• recess
• breather
• suspense
• abeyance
• latency
• dormancy
• doldrums
• quiescence

lay off

2 of 2

verb

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

• stop
• cease
• end
• halt
• cut off
• shut off
• quit
• cut out
• leave off
• break off
• desist (from)
• have done with
• delay
• pack (up or in)
• break up
• knock off
• drop
• suspend
• discontinue
• can
• conclude
• give over
• finish
• break
• put the kibosh on
• close (down)
• check
• hold back
• complete
• turn back
• block
• clamp down
• pause
• rein (in)
• ruin
• stem
• stay
• hinder
• impede
• hold
• deactivate
• dam
• suppress
• obstruct
• detain
• blockade
• brake
• abort
• destroy
• stamp
• scuttle
• arrest
• call
• dissolve
• stunt
• squelch
• staunch
• abolish
• squash
• kill
• stanch
• demolish
• snuff
• annul
• kibosh

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• carry on
• continue
• run on
• keep up
• proceed
• advance
• progress
• follow through (with)
• drive
• stir
• propel
• actuate
• impel

Examples of layoff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Join 99 others in the comments View Comments Tupperware shuttered its only US plant, in South Carolina, this year, resulting in 148 layoffs, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 18 Sep. 2024

While layoffs have shown little sign of rebounding, hiring has slowed significantly. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2024

Verb

Microsoft Gaming will lay off approximately 650 employees, or 3% of the Xbox owner’s global workforce, in a new round of eliminations following last year’s completion of its $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024

About 11,500 game industry workers have been laid off this year so far, according to one tracker. —Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 12 Sep. 2024