laid off

verb

past tense of lay off
as in stopped
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 laid off
  1. stopped
  2. ceased
  3. ended
  4. halted
  5. quit
  6. shut off
  7. broke off
  8. left off
Verb
  • As referees stopped Charlie Adams’ corner kick to separate a pair of players in the box, Adams whispered for Barea to come closer.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Cougars were stopped at the UCF 3 on consecutive drives before Overmyer fumbled at the UCF 7 and into the end zone, recovered by the Knights.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of stopped
Verb
  • But sea otters have not ceased to be adorable — or a keystone species.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • After 6 million years, significantly less hot water was flowing, and by 8 million years, the flow had ceased.
    — Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ceased
Verb
  • Amid all those professional milestones, Bridgers also ended a high-profile relationship with actor Paul Mescal; lost her father, Tony Bridgers; and started dating comedian Bo Burnham.
    — Christine Werthman, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There is a week every fall when the mornings sharpen, the knitwear comes down off the top shelf, and everything in your gym bag suddenly belongs to a season that has already ended.
    — Zoë Mackay, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ended
Verb
  • Lee ordered an independent review and halted any new executions.
    — Ed White, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • After environmentalists advocated for protecting these unique creatures, the nuclear-weapons manufacturing on their site was halted.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of halted
Verb
  • For carpenters, delays and poor weather conditions can disrupt the working hours apprentices need to complete their program, causing some to quit.
    — Itzel Franco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Elfe quit her job in luxury retail and enrolled in a teacher assistant certification program at the center in 2022, before continuing her education in its apprenticeship program.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of quit
Verb
  • The instruments were shut off for months to reduce power use and keep Swift from sinking.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • For now, the company is limited to just 15 minutes of operation in space before the chips have to be shut off to cool back down.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of shut off
Verb
  • In addition to Williams’ 22-yard touchdown, Jonaz Walton broke off a 44-yard run in the fourth quarter.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • On second down, wide receiver Malik Washington broke off a 30-yard reception after safety Alohi Gilman missed a tackle.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of broke off
Verb
  • Judge was not afforded the same opportunity, left off the rosters for the wild-card series and ALDS because of his calf injury.
    — Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Picking up right where the previous episode left off, this one starts with River and Sid in a retro-’80s bowling alley looking for a pay phone because Sid still insists on getting in contact with Diana Taverner.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of left off
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.

Browse Nearby Words

laid into
laid off
laid off (of)
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Cite this Entry

“Laid off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laid%20off. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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