layoffs

Definition of layoffsnext
plural of layoff
1
as in dismissals
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily even senior employees lost their jobs in the massive layoff

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2
as in winters
a period of often involuntary inactivity or idleness after such a long layoff the boxer badly needed to get back into shape

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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 layoffs The layoffs come after the school’s board voted in March to consolidate its Lincoln high school program into the Roseville campus, which will send as many as 120 students 10 miles south to stay with the academy. Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026 While more than 111 layoffs were initially planned in February, that number decreased as workers were transferred, the spokesperson said. Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026 The rate of layoffs also remains at an all-time low. Rob Wile, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026 Higher energy prices due to the Iran war could push firms to curb hiring later this year and potentially boost layoffs, James McCann, senior economist of investment strategy at Edward Jones, said in an email ahead of the government's latest jobs readout. Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026 As a result, the company will cut 124 jobs, with the layoffs scheduled to take effect June 30. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026 Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of the US economy, is more influenced by the state of the labor market; specifically, whether layoffs are rising more than usual or not. Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026 The closures come as dozens of Bay Area school districts have announced layoffs, budget cuts or school closures this year to address years of declining enrollment, as birth rates decline and families flee high-cost areas. Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026 Anticipating future layoffs, some Americans are leaving their jobs preemptively to start businesses. Megan Sauer sarah Jackson sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoffs
Noun
  • At the same time, China’s appetite for conflict has likely been dampened by struggles to support its slowing domestic economy, as well as a string of dismissals in the top echelons of its own military.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
  • The same dismissals and insults.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The state also experienced one of its warmest winters on record, contributing to one of the worst mid-winter snowpacks in decades.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • For example, rats can be found in countless places that experience bitter winters.
    Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Pentagon officials have not given a reason for the departure, which is the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Other Cabinet firings could also be on the horizon.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The average response time for phone calls dropped to 6 minutes from 30 minutes in the prior fiscal year; field office wait times decreased to 23 minutes; and removal of online service downtimes has benefited an additional 125,000 users in a single week, according to the agency's findings.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • That is why programs allowing supervised or monitored furloughs exist.
    Sean Garcia Leys, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The furloughs were part of a slew of measures taken to try to help bridge the deficit gap.
    Brian Maass, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Referring to the decline in permits approved, ECMC Director Julie Murphy said there were lulls as everyone adjusted course.
    Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Acting in a movie involves a lot of waiting around, too—as the crew repositions cameras and adjusts the lighting, among other things—and those lulls provided me with plenty of time to feel queasy with anxiety.
    Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The Jeep driver slammed on the breaks and reversed, crashing into the front of Acosta’s patrol car and sped off, leaving the gate pieces on the road.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
  • During one of the day’s breaks, Tappin won a gift bag, including a flat iron, after answering a question correctly.
    Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Layoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoffs. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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