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
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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
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Recent Examples of layoff
Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 June 2025
The city’s police and fire departments had already been protected from layoffs in the initial budget proposal authored by Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, who served as interim mayor before Barbara Lee took office last month.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 12 June 2025
Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 12 June 2025
Many of the airlines’ employees were also laid off.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Noun
There have been multiple rounds of layoffs at Vox Media recently, including in January when the company let go of around 7% of its workforce.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 June 2025
The city’s police and fire departments had already been protected from layoffs in the initial budget proposal authored by Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, who served as interim mayor before Barbara Lee took office last month.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 12 June 2025
Verb
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is rehiring about 460 employees who had previously been laid off, according to an email notice reviewed by The Hill.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 12 June 2025
Many of the airlines’ employees were also laid off.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
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But the main disagreement with them is not in their correct dismissal of deregulation as the cause of the carnage, but in their ongoing support of government intervention, including bailouts.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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The union representing most of the agency’s employees sued, winning a preliminary injunction to halt the dismissals.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Carl Court | Getty Images News | Getty Images Her climbdown on denying millions of pensioners the winter fuel allowance was not the only U-turn announced by Rachel Reeves, the U.K.'s chancellor of the Exchequer, this month.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
18 June 2025
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In other words, Rockefeller quite literally lit up formerly dark nights and brought heat to cold winters at prices that enabled greater and greater usage among common people.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Nearly as important, though, is the fact that streaming continues to be a sizable fount of new viewers even after on-air and DVR viewing essentially stops.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2025
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State police finally stopped the car on a rural road outside of Huntsville, north of Houston.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
Noun
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In a new interview with i Paper, the legendary guitarist and songwriter opened up about the chaotic sequence of events earlier this year involving Starkey’s firing, rehiring and eventual departure.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
22 June 2025
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The effort to give the president more direct control over the hiring and firing of civil servants is broadly opposed.—
Steven Kull,
Twin Cities,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Aaron Nola is out until at least after the All-Star break; the earliest he can be activated is July 18.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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Raleigh, 28, hit two home runs, his 28th and 29th of the season, and broke Bench’s record for most home runs for a catcher before the All-Star break.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
Verb
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The company has ceased production and distribution of the products as FDA and the company continue their investigation to correct the issue with the manufacturer.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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Trump signed an order May 2 directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding NPR and PBS.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
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An emergency motion for temporary furlough filed in federal court on Tuesday, June 10, and obtained by PEOPLE alleges that three officials with the Bureau of Prisons devised a plot to have Kelly killed by a fellow inmate.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
11 June 2025
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The mayor froze new spending in April and ordered city agencies to institute furloughs and freezes on hiring, overtime, and purchasing supplies.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
10 June 2025
Noun
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The approach reinforces Ecolab’s commitment to delivering measurable impact, whether through water conservation, energy efficiency or operational downtime.—
Peter High,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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Worth Your Time Great business-adjacent reads for your downtime or commute: My colleague Damon Sayles made the short trip from Dallas to Bells, Texas, to see first-hand the replica of Fenway Park built for wiffle ball.—
Dan Shanoff,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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