as in dismissals
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in excesses
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in truants
Related Words
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 furloughs
Sean Garcia Leys, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
The furloughs were part of a slew of measures taken to try to help bridge the deficit gap.
—Brian Maass, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The airline also instituted furloughs and job cuts before its first bankruptcy filing.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
The School Board is also discussing the possibility of furloughs, which could take effect earlier than June 30.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
But other parts of the department, including the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office and significant parts of the cybersecurity and election-infrastructure offices, face furloughs, according to a person briefed on the plans.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Stephanie Ryder At the University of Washington, a top public university for biomedical research that relies on NIH money, administrators last year implemented a hiring freeze, travel restrictions and furloughs.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026
But the memo said that 18,946 of the department’s 27,206 direct hire American employees are exempted from potential furloughs if the shutdown continues.
—Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Russian data show unpaid wages nearly tripled in October from a year ago to more than $27 million, with furloughs and shorter workweeks becoming more common.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2026
Noun
That is why programs allowing supervised or monitored furloughs exist.
—Sean Garcia Leys, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
The furloughs were part of a slew of measures taken to try to help bridge the deficit gap.
—Brian Maass, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The airline also instituted furloughs and job cuts before its first bankruptcy filing.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
The School Board is also discussing the possibility of furloughs, which could take effect earlier than June 30.
—Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
But other parts of the department, including the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office and significant parts of the cybersecurity and election-infrastructure offices, face furloughs, according to a person briefed on the plans.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Stephanie Ryder At the University of Washington, a top public university for biomedical research that relies on NIH money, administrators last year implemented a hiring freeze, travel restrictions and furloughs.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 Feb. 2026
But the memo said that 18,946 of the department’s 27,206 direct hire American employees are exempted from potential furloughs if the shutdown continues.
—Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Russian data show unpaid wages nearly tripled in October from a year ago to more than $27 million, with furloughs and shorter workweeks becoming more common.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furloughs
Noun
-
Chronic cortisol elevation does change the face over time, and the biology behind the viral term is more real than most dismissals of it suggest.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
At the same time, China’s appetite for conflict has likely been dampened by struggles to support its slowing domestic economy, as well as a string of dismissals in the top echelons of its own military.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pentagon officials have not given a reason for the departure, which is the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Other Cabinet firings could also be on the horizon.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The layoffs come after the school’s board voted in March to consolidate its Lincoln high school program into the Roseville campus, which will send as many as 120 students 10 miles south to stay with the academy.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
While more than 111 layoffs were initially planned in February, that number decreased as workers were transferred, the spokesperson said.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The movie follows Lee Byung-hun (Squid Game) as Yoo Man-su, a man who is fired from his job at a paper manufacturing company after an American company buys out his company and downsizes.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
His loving, pragmatic wife, Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin), gamely downsizes their middle-class life to fit their new reality — but her resoluteness only exacerbates his despair.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The passed by Republicans last month axes the credits for projects that don’t begin producing electricity by 2028.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The average American actually retires at 62, according to two respected annual surveys, from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Despite delays and concerns about the readiness of a new commercial station when NASA retires the ISS, the White House requested only a small increase in funding for this program in 2027.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Critical thinking really bums them out.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
That’s because if a patient can’t pay or an insurer kicks back a claim, a small practice in a rural area can be on the hook for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.—
Caleb Hellerman,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Kutsenko, 31, steps outside into the freezing night, switches on a large rectangular generator and the power kicks back in.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Furloughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furloughs. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
