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 WebLindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
The class of 2028 marks the first admissions cycle after the US Supreme Court took an axe to affirmative action in college, ruling the Harvard and University of North Carolina admissions programs were unconstitutional.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
There's also the video of him tossing an axe at a bar.
—Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
With King being not just a hot-shot guitarist but a preternaturally gifted vocalist, the album can overall best be described as: What if Al Green also played a mean axe and made a record about dealing with anxiety and depression?
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024
Months later, her longtime boyfriend attacked her with an axe.
—USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Now, that son deploys a similar axe to dispose of the corpse of his criminal father.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024
The ship’s helm wheel, ceiling chandelier, interior furnishings, emergency fire axe box, engine room speed register, and more have also been purchased.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2024
The knight carries a huge axe and makes a strange proposal, in such a way that the honor of the whole court feels at stake.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 11 May 2024
All of the roles, from prototype vehicle operators to construction carpenters, have since been axed—and all that remain are three spots on Tesla’s Manufacturing Development Program.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 May 2024
One stopped letting Quest 1 players launch or play the game in 2022, while Meta Horizon Home axed social features for the headset last March.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 6 May 2024
Chris Pine is sharing his thoughts on DC axing a third installment of Wonder Woman.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024
But while showrunner Tim Minear floated the idea to him as a possibility for Season Four, it was ultimately axed.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2024
Its radical design proved popular and remained in production for more than 20 years before being axed in 2023 with no immediate successor.
—Alistair Charlton, WIRED, 5 May 2024
Some companies have ditched chief diversity officers — a role commonly held by women of color — and others have axed internal teams dedicated to DEI and outsourced the work to consultants.
—Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Multiple businesses have plans to axe hundreds of jobs, as well as cut back hours and freeze hiring, the report shows.
—USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
Guests can try horseback riding, cattle pushing, archery, axe throwing, fly fishing, mountain biking, and ziplining.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
The class of 2028 marks the first admissions cycle after the US Supreme Court took an axe to affirmative action in college, ruling the Harvard and University of North Carolina admissions programs were unconstitutional.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
There's also the video of him tossing an axe at a bar.
—Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
With King being not just a hot-shot guitarist but a preternaturally gifted vocalist, the album can overall best be described as: What if Al Green also played a mean axe and made a record about dealing with anxiety and depression?
—Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Feb. 2024
Months later, her longtime boyfriend attacked her with an axe.
—USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024
Now, that son deploys a similar axe to dispose of the corpse of his criminal father.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024
The ship’s helm wheel, ceiling chandelier, interior furnishings, emergency fire axe box, engine room speed register, and more have also been purchased.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2024
The knight carries a huge axe and makes a strange proposal, in such a way that the honor of the whole court feels at stake.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
Verb
And in 2023, Rolex axed the Cellini line and replaced it with the 1908 line of classic dress watches.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 11 May 2024
All of the roles, from prototype vehicle operators to construction carpenters, have since been axed—and all that remain are three spots on Tesla’s Manufacturing Development Program.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 May 2024
One stopped letting Quest 1 players launch or play the game in 2022, while Meta Horizon Home axed social features for the headset last March.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 6 May 2024
Chris Pine is sharing his thoughts on DC axing a third installment of Wonder Woman.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024
But while showrunner Tim Minear floated the idea to him as a possibility for Season Four, it was ultimately axed.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2024
Its radical design proved popular and remained in production for more than 20 years before being axed in 2023 with no immediate successor.
—Alistair Charlton, WIRED, 5 May 2024
Some companies have ditched chief diversity officers — a role commonly held by women of color — and others have axed internal teams dedicated to DEI and outsourced the work to consultants.
—Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Multiple businesses have plans to axe hundreds of jobs, as well as cut back hours and freeze hiring, the report shows.
—USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 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 16 May. 2024.
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