as in ending
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying off
Verb
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The number of ski visits at domestic ski resorts climbed by nearly 13% in the year ending April 30 to 26 million, according to the China Ski Industry White Paper.—
Russell Flannery,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025 -
Last season, McCarthy was on the sideline with a season-ending meniscus injury suffered during preseason.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To my surprise, Gary Friedman, the CEO and visionary behind the brand, was in the restaurant, casually moving between tables and greeting guests before graciously stopping at ours.—
Erica Wertheim Zohar,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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One video was a loop showing the moment of impact in slow-motion, stopping before blood is seen.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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War When the first shots of the conflict were fired in April 2023, domestic soccer within Sudan was immediately halted, with the majority of the country’s teams ceasing to compete at any meaningful level.—
Rory Fleming,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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The group’s catalog maintains a never-ceasing presence on charts all around the world, and many of the rock classic hits included in the outfit’s discography still sell and stream in meaningful numbers every single week.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The United States has suspended some funding for its flagship AIDS relief program, according to international organizations and members of Congress who warn the cuts are already hurting patients and halting critical projects globally.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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Goldman Sachs says surging investment in AI among the S&P 500 companies is diverting funds from stock buybacks, halting their usual yearly growth.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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It had been made for Williamson but was cutting off Bronze’s circulation.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Ewpjdk 4-Pack Garden Pruning Shears come with four pruning shears for the price of one and are versatile enough to take on all kinds of fall pruning tasks, like harvesting, clipping, deadheading, and cutting off the final fruits of the season, before winter comes.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The phones were all on and were not shutting off.—
Yaakov Katz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
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Once in the body, CO molecules hijack your red blood cells, overpowering oxygen in the bloodstream and shutting off critical O2 supply to the brain, heart and other organs.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Johnson then carried the ball on the last four plays, breaking off carries of eight, nine and 10 yards.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
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After breaking off her first engagement with Affleck in 2004, the singer went on to marry singer-songwriter Marc Anthony.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
People.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And to capture the nuances of the Earth system, Stevens advocates cutting out as many estimations as possible and attempting to use physics all the way down.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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Villareal works on each helmet individually with the help of his wife, Lora, who’ll help with masking, cutting out vinyls and laying the design on the helmets.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Laying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20off. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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