American Dictionary

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Definition lay off in American English

lay off phrasal verb

phrasal verb
1

to end someone's employment, especially temporarily, because there is not enough work for them

Example

They've had to cut back production and lay off workers.

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2

to stop doing something that is annoying someone

Example

Lay off! I'm trying to study.

Example

Just lay off complaining for a minute!

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3

to stop doing or using something, especially for a short period of time

Example

I had to lay off the medication for a while to see if that was causing my headaches.

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Definition lay off in American English