axe

1 of 2

noun

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
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
No party was brave enough to offend its supporters by taking an axe to [=severely reducing] expenditure.The Economist
4
slang : any of several musical instruments (such as a guitar or a saxophone)

axe

2 of 2

verb

variants or ax
axed; axing; axes

transitive verb

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.
Phrases
axe to grind
: an ulterior often selfish underlying purpose
claims that he has no axe to grind in criticizing the proposed law

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
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Noun
The recreation facility, which Murphy will operate, will have a bar and kitchen as well as escape rooms, axe throwing, electronic darts and an outdoor ropes course. Jake Allen, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 After not impressing in the leadership, Doohan was given the axe by Alpine in the first half of the season. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 Then there’s the plastic axe throwing, cornhole, Sauce Toss (a backyard-style hockey game), plus their own version of a Shot-Ski, a hockey stick with three shot glasses glued to it so friends can drink together. Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2025 That took a pole axe to farming, steel and autos among other sectors that depended on exporting or that competed with imports. Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025 Toss in an uncaring government agent with an axe to grind. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 19 June 2025 Disney is swinging the axe again, laying off several hundred employees globally across multiple teams. Todd Spangler, Variety, 2 June 2025 Clapton, who actually owned the instrument, and Harrison can be seen with the axe in a private songwriting session back in October 1968. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 20 May 2025 Listen to this article The San Diego police officer who shot and wounded a man allegedly armed with an axe in Pacific Beach was identified Wednesday. Christian Martinez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
Verb
As companies like Netflix double down on unlimited PTO benefits, the boss of $11 billion fintech company, Bolt has just axed the policy altogether. Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 July 2025 Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough axed a handful of changes from the Senate bill, including prohibiting coverage for non-citizens and barring funds for gender-affirming care. Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 29 June 2025 Cast members from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s Étoile are sharing their complicated feelings over the classical ballet’s Prime Video cancellation, a show that was axed despite being given a two-season order. Nick Caruso, TVLine, 29 June 2025 Despite the mockumentary being a critical darling, the premium cable network axed the comedy series after one season. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 27 June 2025 But even the remote nation that cited Buddhist teachings as a reason for its tobacco ban has not been immune to outside influence and axed the majority of its ban in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic to stop smugglers which were spreading the disease. Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 Trump, however, says his administration may axe it. Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 26 June 2025 The star was supposed to play the mother to Ophelia Sage (Blake Lively), but was axed in the editing process. EW.com, 19 June 2025 The Supreme Court rejected Texas’s bid to axe federal approval of a nuclear waste storage facility, arguing the state did not have the right to bring its challenge in the first place. Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English æcs; akin to Old High German ackus ax, Latin ascia, Greek axinē

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of axe was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Axe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axe. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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