lie off

verb

lay off; lain off; lying off; lies off

intransitive verb

1
: to hold back in the early part of a race
2
: to keep a little away from the shore or another ship
3
: to cease work for a time

Examples of lie off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While cuts have not yet been officially decided, a worst-case scenario would reduce bus service by as much as 16.4%, lay off 300 employees and reduce supplemental services for East Bay Paratransit riders and 4,200 East Bay students who use the bus to get to and from school each day. Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026 Walmart will close its Matteson fulfillment center and lay off 111 employees by May 29, the company said in a March 27 filing with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026 Several railcars from a Canadian National Railway train lay off the tracks north of Warroad, Minnesota, after a train derailment on March 28, 2026. Nick Lentz, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026 Tehran may even go as far as demanding the unfreezing of sanctioned assets abroad or charging a toll for countries using the narrow maritime corridor that lies off the coast of Iran in international waters, analysts say. Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lie off

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lie off was in 1573

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Cite this Entry

“Lie off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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