layoff 1 of 2

noun

ˈlā-ˌȯf How to pronounce layoff (audio)
Definition of layoffnext
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

lay off

2 of 2

verb

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

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 layoff
Noun
And for months, Hollywood has been bracing itself for the inevitable thousands of layoffs that will come out of the Skydance merger. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 Most of the layoffs will affect workers in Netflix’s product, technology, legal and HR teams, co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters wrote in an email to employees Wednesday morning about the layoffs. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
In case the winning bidder does not continue racing, the track will have to lay off its workforce. — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 With that transition, Republic National plans to close sites in Charlotte and Raleigh, laying off 39 and 14 people, respectively. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for layoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for layoff
  1. dismissal
  2. winter
  3. stop
  4. firing
  5. break
  6. cease
  7. furlough
  8. downtime
Noun
  • His lawyers, making the motion for dismissal, argued that Kuznietsov was still an active duty soldier and as such was obligated by Ukrainian law not to speak for reasons of secrecy linked to national security.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Even if Chili’s dismissal is unrelated, an ex-employee is a good place to start.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Noun
  • Russia's heavy bombardment of the power grid ahead of winter has been an annual feature of the war, aimed at wearing down Ukraine's appetite for the fight by denying civilians heat and running water.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The same may not prove true of utility costs where many rate hikes remain pending and a tough winter could cause further spikes.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of winter
Verb
  • The city’s public works team and its Parks, Recreation and Marine bureau were working to secure it, putting up sandbags and rebuilding the berm to stop water intrusion.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Kodiak says its autonomous system is designed to identify emergency vehicles, stopped vehicles, lane closures and accident scenes.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stop
Noun
  • Things certainly aren’t going well when your defensive coordinator’s name is emblazoned across bedsheets hanging from your school’s fraternity windows, calling for his firing.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Fear and loathing are running high as Hollywood processes Thursday’s shock firing of Bela Bajaria from her post as Netflix chief content officer.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • Daily Alerts Stay informed as soon as important news breaks around Washington DC and the entire world.
    — Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Alice Mushrooms Chocolate Discovery Set Alice mushroom chocolates are for the friend who tries every single wellness trend but also loves to indulge in a daily (or nightly) chocolate break.
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of break
Verb
  • And Gartner estimates that 80% of neocloud providers will cease independent operations by 2030 because their revenues won’t cover their outgoings.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Research firm Gartner published a report on Wednesday forecasting that over 80% of neocloud providers will cease operations by 2030, due to costs and lack of a unique business model.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cease
Noun
  • Layoffs, unpaid staff furloughs and school closures probably are ahead as the leaders downsize operations.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Pilots, flight attendants and other aviation workers faced pay cuts and furloughs from the decrease in flyers.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of furlough
Noun
  • The technician gets one coherent answer instead of four tools to reconcile by hand, and the plant avoids the downtime that used to depend on one retiring expert’s memory.
    — Osman Koc, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to a synopsis from Hallmark, the movie — which filmed in Chicago over the summer — follows a freelance reporter who returns home to Chicago for some holiday downtime with her family before her next assignment.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of downtime

Browse Nearby Words

laymen
layoff
lay off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Layoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/layoff. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All