on the chopping block

idiom

informal
: likely to be fired, removed, or eliminated, etc.
There were several government programs on the chopping block.

Examples of on the chopping block in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Thirty-six of the office’s 98 investigators are funded by grants tied to specific enforcement, such as retail theft, so the 20 employees on the chopping block would come from the 62 investigators paid though the county’s general fund. Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 16 May 2024 Unions, worker safety laws, and even minimum wage laws will all be on the chopping block (not to mention Social Security and Medicare). Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024 The least favorite was David’s, putting him on the chopping block for elimination. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024 Products on the chopping block include life-saving therapies and quantum computers. Andrei Iancu, Orange County Register, 1 Apr. 2024 The 2024 legislative session has wrapped up, and like in previous years, several bills addressing the environment and risks to the health of Hoosiers ended up on the chopping block. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 Five interns nearly on the chopping block after the unnecessary death of a patient. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 The Masked Singer was on the chopping block to exit the platform but the licenses were extended shortly then after. Francesca Gariano, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Especially at rural hospitals, labor and delivery has been on the chopping block nationwide as hospitals are hit by soaring labor and supply costs and competition for a smaller workforce. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the chopping block.' 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 on the chopping block

Cite this Entry

“On the chopping block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20chopping%20block. Accessed 31 May. 2024.

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