chopping block

noun

1

: a wooden block on which material (such as meat, wood, or vegetables) is cut, split, or diced

2

: a situation in which someone or something is threatened with elimination

government programs on the chopping block

Examples of chopping block in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To differing extents, all of these shows are love letters to forms pundits spy on the chopping block—the late night show, the local rag, and the good old fashioned art-house film. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

That chopping block includes planetary defense missions such as OSIRIS-APEX, heliophysics research, major Earth science and climate missions and major cuts to workforce at NASA centers like Armstrong, Marshall, and Goddard. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2025

Eventually, Adriane reaches the chopping block, and despite making a last-minute plea involving her young son, her captives still declined to make the impossible choice. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Feb. 2023

Creator Steve Levitan’s comedy series for Hulu, Reboot, has unfortunately hit the chopping block. —Vulture, 1 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for chopping block

• aftershock
• antiknock
• arawak
• hollyhock
• interlock
• isopach
• manioc
• shuttlecock
• tomahawk
• weathercock
• alcock
• beanstalk