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
1
as in to excess
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in to bum
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of furlough
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
The furlough affects about 40% of the 406 employees who work at the western Massachusetts facility, where partially assembled car shells shipped from China are outfitted for service on the Red and Orange Lines.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Terry Moseley, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
About 750,000 employees will be sent to furlough each day, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furlough
Noun
That standoff stretched for 35 days, leading to the furlough of more than 350,000 federal workers and forcing 400,000 others to work without pay.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
The furlough affects about 40% of the 406 employees who work at the western Massachusetts facility, where partially assembled car shells shipped from China are outfitted for service on the Red and Orange Lines.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
The Social Security Administration will continue to issue retirement and disability benefits but will furlough 12% of its staff and pause marketing campaigns, according to the agency’s shutdown plan.
—Terry Moseley, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
About 750,000 employees will be sent to furlough each day, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for furlough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furlough
Noun
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The latest rebuff of state overreach was the dismissal last week of the highly questionable felony case against respected Waukegan City Clerk Janet Kilkelly brought by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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The result is a drama of surprising universality, in which a well-to-do couple becomes the target of unjust dismissals and persecution for political wrongthink against the Turkish regime.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Over the past few months my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening.—
Amy Dickinson,
Anchorage Daily News,
17 July 2023
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Over the past few months, my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening.—
Amy Dickinson,
Washington Post,
17 July 2023
Verb
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Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Rittenhouse admits to initially being bummed out to not be the murderer, only to quickly come around to preferring this outcome.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Falcons finished 8-9, leading to the firings of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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And Denver now marches head-on into the offseason, coming off a year of inconsistent offense that resulted in the firing of previous offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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They are forced to take out high-interest loans, drain reserves, lay off staff or cut services, all while continuing to perform work they are contracted to deliver.—
Kristin Brown,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Noun
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That could be a signal that the pace of layoffs is accelerating.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
These losses threaten the financial sustainability of institutions that have served this community for generations — resulting in inevitable layoffs and major gaps in exhibitions and educational programs.—
Judy Gradwohl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the San Francisco Chronicle axed its stand-alone books section, in 2001, the paper’s editors were overwhelmed by an ensuing crush of vitriolic mail.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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Gateway officials said last week the work would halt indefinitely on Friday if the feds don’t let the congressional dollars flow — a stoppage that will endanger the project and axe about 1,000 jobs.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Furlough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furlough. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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