Streamlining Operations
Layoffs, described as plumbing. The operations being streamlined are people; the stream is the exit. Appears in press releases within one sentence of 'position us for growth.'
Heard in the wild
“The company is streamlining operations across three divisions.”
Tone check: Euphemism
In a headline, this word means cuts. The stock usually rises, which tells you who the sentence was written for.