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
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
Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Friday's jobs report also shows some of the effects of the administration's large-scale layoffs.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025
Now the White House Is Expanding the Strategy In the Trump administration's early days, thousands of federal employees doing critical work—overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile, researching and working to prevent bird flu, overseeing food safety and more—were abruptly laid off before being rehired.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Noun
The tour has taken them not only to reliable blue enclaves but also conservative districts where Trump’s tariffs and mass federal jobs layoffs threaten to tank the local economy.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Friday's jobs report also shows some of the effects of the administration's large-scale layoffs.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
In the past two months, the Trump administration has laid off thousands of workers at numerous agencies and paused trillions of dollars worth of federal grants.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025
Now the White House Is Expanding the Strategy In the Trump administration's early days, thousands of federal employees doing critical work—overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile, researching and working to prevent bird flu, overseeing food safety and more—were abruptly laid off before being rehired.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
Noun
-
The dismissal of Malone could prove to be a turning point for the Nuggets—either sparking a resurgence or further unraveling their season.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Those challenging the dismissals argued that OPM didn't have the authority to order firings.—
Christina Gatti,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These cases were unusual, occurring in the winter, and no major rodent infestations were found in these victims’ homes.—
Judy Stone,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
In the winter, the mammoths, with their enormous weight, would tamp down snow, trapping methane—a greenhouse gas—that would otherwise be released by melting permafrost.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Has Bacteria-Fighting Properties A study found that ACV helped stop the growth of two harmful bacteria: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli).—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Hansi Flick will surely remember the outstanding save from former Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian to stop Jules Kounde in the second half, as well as the last-minute cross from Raphinha that Robert Lewandowski or Fermin Lopez failed to tap in.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Ken Russell, who is also running for mayor, was one of the two remaining commissioners to vote against his firing.—
Tess Riski,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The two decisions represent a significant setback for the states, the unions and the civic organizations that had sued the government in an effort to block the summary firings of more than 24,000 federal workers.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The committee is not expected to vote on Isaacman’s confirmation until after lawmakers reconvene from a two-week break that ends April 28.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Since the All-Star break, Phoenix is 30th in halfcourt defense … by a wide margin.—
Shane Young,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Yellow’s bankruptcy journey has lasted roughly 20 months, with the century-old less-than-truckload (LTL) company ceasing operations July 30, 2023.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
1 Apr. 2025
-
If Jun-no can’t turn things around quickly the company may cease to exist.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Then came a cost of living crisis fueled by the war in Ukraine and governments increasing taxes to cover the cost of furlough payments during the pandemic.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
There were already 400 UAW members on indefinite furlough in Kokomo even before Monday’s layoffs.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Matchmaking is disabled before any significant downtime, and players are not able to access the game during this window.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Through comprehensive and responsive support, organizations can take advantage of minimal downtime, quick-issue resolution and the smooth operation of business-critical applications.—
Steve Millidge,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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