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.
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 Web
Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 27 Mar. 2025
The Trump Administration could trim twigs from its org chart, or take an axe and lop off entire limbs, erasing whole offices.
—David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
All the clichés about headaches are true—a pile of bricks on the head, a vise grip on the temples, an axe through the skull.
—Rebecca Nagle, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
That includes a big expansion of premium formats, to bars, eateries and activities from axe throwing to bowling that have been boosting regional chains.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
The most high-profile landmark may be the home of Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted of murdering her parents with an axe.
—Steph Solis, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025
In his pursuit to find the one who killed Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes) with a bullet emblazoned with the Punisher's skull insignia, Charlie Cox's blind attorney tracks down the Punisher himself — who nearly hacks off his head with an axe.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
His choice of weapon was unusual— not a knife or even an axe or a bat but his mouth.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Jane, who may have been as young as 16, is shown blindfolded as an executioner with an axe waits to behead her.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
Penske officially axed 96 employees at an Aurora facility on March 31, while Quiet is cutting 76 employees on May 23 as part of a plant closure in Chicago.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Apr. 2025
The Racing Bull driver will replace his former teammate Liam Lawson, who was axed by Red Bull just two races into the season after replacing Sergio Perez in the summer.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
During a hearing about campus antisemitism held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said slashing staff at the Office for Civil Rights while trying to crack down on discrimination is like axing the fire department while trying to fight fires.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Regardless of whether the tree is burnt down, axed, or damaged, the root mother will continue to send up new shoots.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Channel 4 has axed Ben Wheately’s zombie comedy horror Generation Z after one season.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025
The leadership shake-up at the influential school comes after the federal government axed $400 million in grants to Columbia University following an antisemitism investigation into the institution.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 29 Mar. 2025
My Personal Information Copyright © 2025 Sun Sentinel Florida might bring back arts grants — with political oversight and new strings attached
Arts and culture grants may soon have a revival after Gov. Ron DeSantis axed them all last year.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
As Trump passes the 60-day mark of his second term, he’s taken an axe to many long-standing federal agencies, cutting hundreds of thousands of jobs and upending programs both domestically and internationally for cost-saving benefits.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 27 Mar. 2025
The Trump Administration could trim twigs from its org chart, or take an axe and lop off entire limbs, erasing whole offices.
—David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
All the clichés about headaches are true—a pile of bricks on the head, a vise grip on the temples, an axe through the skull.
—Rebecca Nagle, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
That includes a big expansion of premium formats, to bars, eateries and activities from axe throwing to bowling that have been boosting regional chains.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
The most high-profile landmark may be the home of Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted of murdering her parents with an axe.
—Steph Solis, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025
In his pursuit to find the one who killed Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes) with a bullet emblazoned with the Punisher's skull insignia, Charlie Cox's blind attorney tracks down the Punisher himself — who nearly hacks off his head with an axe.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
His choice of weapon was unusual— not a knife or even an axe or a bat but his mouth.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Jane, who may have been as young as 16, is shown blindfolded as an executioner with an axe waits to behead her.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Verb
House conservatives are putting pressure on Senate Republicans to promise deeper spending cuts — at least $1.5 trillion over the next decade — ahead of the negotiations, but GOP senators themselves are deeply divided on what to axe.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
Penske officially axed 96 employees at an Aurora facility on March 31, while Quiet is cutting 76 employees on May 23 as part of a plant closure in Chicago.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Apr. 2025
The Racing Bull driver will replace his former teammate Liam Lawson, who was axed by Red Bull just two races into the season after replacing Sergio Perez in the summer.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
During a hearing about campus antisemitism held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said slashing staff at the Office for Civil Rights while trying to crack down on discrimination is like axing the fire department while trying to fight fires.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
Regardless of whether the tree is burnt down, axed, or damaged, the root mother will continue to send up new shoots.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Channel 4 has axed Ben Wheately’s zombie comedy horror Generation Z after one season.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025
The leadership shake-up at the influential school comes after the federal government axed $400 million in grants to Columbia University following an antisemitism investigation into the institution.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 29 Mar. 2025
My Personal Information Copyright © 2025 Sun Sentinel Florida might bring back arts grants — with political oversight and new strings attached
Arts and culture grants may soon have a revival after Gov. Ron DeSantis axed them all last year.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Axe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axe. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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