lie off

verb

lay off; lain off; lying off; lies off

intransitive verb

1
: to hold back in the early part of a race
2
: to keep a little away from the shore or another ship
3
: to cease work for a time

Examples of lie off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The island, a UNESCO world heritage site, lies off Australia’s eastern coast and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Georgiana Ralphs, CNN Money, 19 Jan. 2026 But what Flanagan’s campaign promotions about her board experience omit are the votes to slash budgets, lay off teachers, and close entire schools as the district struggled with declining enrollments, as well as costly scandals and a new headquarters that ballooned in cost to more than $40 million. Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 19 Jan. 2026 At the heart of this case is whether White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, who is also the acting director of the CFPB, can effectively shut down the agency and lay off all of the bureau's employees. CBS News, 30 Dec. 2025 Within two months of taking office, Kennedy announced a sweeping restructuring of HHS that would shut down entire agencies, consolidate others into a new one focused on chronic disease and lay off some 10,000 employees on top of 10,000 others who had already taken buyouts. Ali Swenson, Fortune, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lie off

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lie off was in 1573

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Cite this Entry

“Lie off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20off. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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