as in to abandon
to stop doing (something) permanently
we warned him to lay off of the cigarette smoking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay off (of)
Verb
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One is that OpenAI’s board has apparently abandoned its mission of safety.—
Alnoor Ebrahim,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026 -
The tech mogul, who helped found OpenAI, sued Altman and the company in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the firm’s founding values and manipulating him into investing in the ChatGPT maker.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There are plenty of reasons for an automaker to discontinue a nameplate.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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Delta previously discontinued the JFK–Orange County route due to airport capacity constraints, but its return signals renewed interest in premium domestic travel.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But that third period, the girls never quit.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Del Valle recently attended a choreographers conference in Europe and was surprised to learn that many of them had quit dancing.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump later dropped that threat.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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My favorite scene of them all, though, is the final cruise through their stomping grounds as Play, Kid, and their friend DJ Bilal (Martin Lawrence) drop Sharane and Sydney off at their cribs after bailing Kid out of jail.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lay off (of).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20off%20%28of%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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