as in stops
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lays off
Verb
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Luke then successfully stops two blasts from the training remote while not being able to see.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026 -
Kathryn Stockett, who published her blockbuster novel The Help in 2009, is back with her first new book in 17 years—The Calamity Club—and she’s headed to Alabama on one of her first book tour stops.—
Southern Living Editors,
Southern Living,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The Director of the Atlantic City International Airport tells CBS News the airline makes up about 85% of its business, and if the airline ceases operations, hundreds of jobs would be impacted.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
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If Spirit ceases operations, passengers with tickets for upcoming flights should file claims with the issuer of the credit or debit card used to purchase the tickets.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The ideal time to plan for next summer is as soon as the previous summer ends.—
Theo Wolf,
CNBC,
1 May 2026
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The win ends trainer Todd Pletcher’s Derby drought.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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But Ho's order now halts that effective date.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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March 2 Oil and gas prices jumped during the first trading day since the strikes, as the war halts energy exports from the Middle East.—
Emma Graham,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the rocket’s core stage cuts off, the zero G indicator will begin to float, identifying the moment when the crew is officially in space.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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Turning your phone off or using airplane mode cuts off wireless communication while still allowing alarms to work.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Each one of those, in this quantum theory, breaks off into another block of cheese.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
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State officials compared the project to Boise’s Flying Wye, where the I-184 Connector breaks off from I-84 west of downtown Boise.—
Hali Smith,
Idaho Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So nothing shuts off overnight.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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This shuts off the engine at stoplights or when idling, and restarts it once the accelerator is pressed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Styles and Swift were then spotted out together a handful of times, including in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, before calling it quits in January 2013.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
28 Apr. 2026
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During season four, Connor Tomlinson and Georgie Harris ended up calling it quits by the season finale.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lays off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lays%20off. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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