variants
or ax
plural axes
1
: a cutting tool that consists of a heavy edged head fixed to a handle with the edge parallel to the handle and that is used especially for felling trees and chopping and splitting wood
2
: a hammer with a sharp edge for dressing (see dress entry 1 sense 6e) or spalling stone
3
informal
a
: removal from office or release from employment : dismissal
—usually used with the
Employees with poor evaluations got the axe.
Trump quickly gave him the ax [=fired him] for his incompetence.—
Laura Petrecca
Laura Petrecca
b
: abrupt elimination or severe reduction of something
Unlimited expense accounts, signing bonuses, and office plants—all are getting the ax [=being cut or eliminated] thanks to corporate cost-cutting measures.—Amanda Hinnant
Amanda HinnantNo party was brave enough to offend its supporters by taking an axe to [=severely reducing] expenditure.—The Economist
The Economist4
slang
: any of several musical instruments (such as a guitar or a saxophone)
variants
or ax
axed; axing; axes
1
a
: to shape, dress (see dress entry 1 sense 6e), or trim with an axe
axe stone
b
: to chop, split, or sever with an axe
axe branches from a tree
2
informal
: to remove abruptly (as from employment or from a budget)
The TV program was axed from the new schedule.
Synonyms
Examples of axe in a Sentence
Noun
the company was hemorrhaging money, so 700 employees would soon be given the ax
Verb
The boss told him that he had been axed.
the boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets
Recent Examples on the WebAaron Davis, Sacramento Bee, 30 June 2024
Through Iron Ocean, Biel and Purple also served as EPs on Candy, the limited series starring Biel as axe murderer Candy Montgomery, which had the best debut of any Hulu title since the fourth season of The Handmaid’s Tale hit the platform in May 2021.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 June 2024
This is what the forests that cloak the surrounding mountains and valleys looked like before the axe and the chainsaw.
—Alexis Marie Adams, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024
During the scuffle, Zhang removes an axe from the sacred tree, inadvertently giving all the humans in the cave (and elsewhere) the Sick.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 10 June 2024
While weakened, Haymitch returned to the cliff and collapsed right before the District 1 female threw her axe at him.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 June 2024
To keep up to date with which shows will get made and which have already gotten the axe, here’s a guide to the status of every Game of Thrones spinoff series.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 10 June 2024
What was Haymitch’s Hunger Games like? Haymitch won the Second Quarter Quell by using the force field at the edge of the arena as a tool for killing the District 1 tribute with her own axe.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 June 2024
Gusts of wind scream through the high desert here, and Kildall eyes individual Joshua trees with the eagerness of a kid at Guitar Center, ready to pick out an axe.
—Christopher Intagliata, NPR, 3 June 2024
Annika Bahnsen, Orange County Register, 17 June 2024
Pisciotta says she was eventually promoted to Chief of Staff for his multiple companies, with a $4 million salary, prior to being axed in October 2022.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
Earlier this year, Apple axed its self-driving car project, laying off 600 people in the process.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 3 May 2024
To these speculators, Hollywood looked like a gold mine: the studios and entertainment corporations were ripe with redundancies and inefficiencies to be axed—costs to be cut, parts to be sold, profits to be diverted to shareholders, executives, and new, often unrelated ventures.
—Daniel Bessner, Harper's Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Nationwide will cancel coverage for about 100,000 animals across the country, with the nation's biggest provider of pet insurance citing the escalating cost of veterinary care in axing the product in some states.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 17 June 2024
People are axing expenses like embalming, which the NFDA reports has a median price of $845.
—Sabina Wex, Glamour, 17 June 2024
The doc is set into motion as dreams shatter for Strickland and Garments after getting axed from the WWE and Kanye West’s crew, respectively.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 June 2024
The project was axed this February, even as Di Novi was teasing to yet another return to small-town Massachusetts.
—Eva Hartman, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
Noun
The Thunder Valley tour stop for this megalodon includes Southern Rock axe titan and Gov’t Mule head honcho Warren Haynes and his band, along with the enigmatic Samantha Fish and the ever-prodigious Eric Gales (7 p.m. Friday, July 12. thundervalleyresort.com).
—Aaron Davis, Sacramento Bee, 30 June 2024
Through Iron Ocean, Biel and Purple also served as EPs on Candy, the limited series starring Biel as axe murderer Candy Montgomery, which had the best debut of any Hulu title since the fourth season of The Handmaid’s Tale hit the platform in May 2021.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 June 2024
This is what the forests that cloak the surrounding mountains and valleys looked like before the axe and the chainsaw.
—Alexis Marie Adams, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024
During the scuffle, Zhang removes an axe from the sacred tree, inadvertently giving all the humans in the cave (and elsewhere) the Sick.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 10 June 2024
While weakened, Haymitch returned to the cliff and collapsed right before the District 1 female threw her axe at him.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 June 2024
To keep up to date with which shows will get made and which have already gotten the axe, here’s a guide to the status of every Game of Thrones spinoff series.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 10 June 2024
What was Haymitch’s Hunger Games like? Haymitch won the Second Quarter Quell by using the force field at the edge of the arena as a tool for killing the District 1 tribute with her own axe.
—Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 6 June 2024
Gusts of wind scream through the high desert here, and Kildall eyes individual Joshua trees with the eagerness of a kid at Guitar Center, ready to pick out an axe.
—Christopher Intagliata, NPR, 3 June 2024
Verb
Listen to this article Mission Viejo councilmembers axed plans for a new Department of Motor Vehicles location in the Kaleidoscope shopping mall over traffic and safety concerns.
—Annika Bahnsen, Orange County Register, 17 June 2024
Pisciotta says she was eventually promoted to Chief of Staff for his multiple companies, with a $4 million salary, prior to being axed in October 2022.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024
Earlier this year, Apple axed its self-driving car project, laying off 600 people in the process.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 3 May 2024
To these speculators, Hollywood looked like a gold mine: the studios and entertainment corporations were ripe with redundancies and inefficiencies to be axed—costs to be cut, parts to be sold, profits to be diverted to shareholders, executives, and new, often unrelated ventures.
—Daniel Bessner, Harper's Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Nationwide will cancel coverage for about 100,000 animals across the country, with the nation's biggest provider of pet insurance citing the escalating cost of veterinary care in axing the product in some states.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 17 June 2024
People are axing expenses like embalming, which the NFDA reports has a median price of $845.
—Sabina Wex, Glamour, 17 June 2024
The doc is set into motion as dreams shatter for Strickland and Garments after getting axed from the WWE and Kanye West’s crew, respectively.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 June 2024
The project was axed this February, even as Di Novi was teasing to yet another return to small-town Massachusetts.
—Eva Hartman, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'axe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near axe
Cite this Entry
“Axe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axe. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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