furlough 1 of 2

noun

ˈfər-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce furlough (audio)
Definition of furloughnext
as in dismissal
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily the landscaping company usually has to put most of its personnel on furlough during the extremely slow winter months

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

furlough

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to excess

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in to bum

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Dissimilar Words

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 furlough
Noun
At a June 22 meeting, the Cincinnati Public Schools' board approved five furlough days for administrators and teachers. — Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2026 Without those funds, the consequences are midyear layoffs, furlough days, and cuts. — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
One North Texas owner says she's already had to furlough a large portion of her staff. — Erin Jones, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026 Life has ground to a halt, with classes suspended at many schools, workers furloughed to save energy, and flights from some places canceled because Cuba doesn’t have enough jet fuel for long-haul flights. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for furlough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furlough
  1. dismissal
  2. excess
  3. bum
  4. firing
  5. lay off
  6. malinger
  7. layoff
  8. ax
Noun
  • Many independent pediatrics practices had dismissal policies like the one this mom had come up against in Fall River.
    — Eric Boodman, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
  • This baseball season has been defined, in part, by dismissals.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • Over the past few months my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening.
    — Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 17 July 2023
  • You’ve been quoted as saying that that is really what the film is about — not so much drinking to excess as embracing the uncontrollable.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2021
Definition of excess
Verb
  • The joy Lisa has with her RHUGT cast compared with the dread her RHOSLC cast seems to bring her really bums me out — especially because of how much of this trip is championing the sisterhood of Housewives.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
  • My conversation partner returned, somehow unable to bum even a single cigarette from anyone at this party.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 July 2026
Definition of bum
Noun
  • Training units would not need to replace the complete launch pod after every firing cycle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Among other requests, the complaint asked the court to declare the firings unlawful under the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedures Act and bar the Pentagon from proceeding with the terminations.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of firing
Verb
  • Corporations lay off workers en masse in hopes of replicating their labor with LLMs.
    — Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
  • For Ali, a Tehrani technician who had to lay off his half a dozen workers, the economic situation isn’t theoretical.
    — Kay Armin Serjoie, Time, 17 June 2026
Definition of lay off
Verb
  • The entire day felt dehumanizing, as if her nearly eight years with the company, her medical problems and her physical pain had been reduced to nothing more than malingering and scattered incidents of tardiness.
    — Greg Jaffe, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
  • Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, practices in Chicago and has lectured on the topic of malingering, according to a resume posted online.
    — Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
Definition of malinger
Noun
  • Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi announced the layoffs in a letter to employees Wednesday.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Khosrowshahi did not attribute the cuts to artificial intelligence, which has been responsible for a recent wave of tech layoffs.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of layoff
Verb
  • The move wasn't initially made public, but sources familiar with its contents told the newspaper that Schrama had axed Mohammed’s confessions from the case in the ruling.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • With their Spotify deal axed and their other ventures failing to gain much traction, Harry and Meghan needed pastures new.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ax

Browse Nearby Words

furless
furlough
furloughed
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Cite this Entry

“Furlough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furlough. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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