ax

1 of 2

noun

variant spelling of axe entry 1, axe entry 2

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)

ax

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
axiom
2
axis

Examples of ax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Odds were also offered on who will be the next late-night show to face the ax, following Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 When Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency began wielding its ax at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this year, many believed this was done to weaken the agency's oversight over Tesla. Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025 Henson embarks on a campaign of revenge, which ranges from Bride Wars-style antics (acid on a wedding dress) to more serious Fatal Attraction-esque offenses, like the beyond-bonkers, ax-wielding climax set on a yacht. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025 Because most second-growth trees – which can be up to 175 years old – are still fair game, only 2% have avoided the axe. John P. O’Brien, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ax

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Cite this Entry

“Ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ax. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

ax

noun
variants or axe
ˈaks
: a cutting tool that consists of a heavy edged head attached to a handle and that is used for chopping and splitting wood

Medical Definition

ax

abbreviation
axis

Biographical Definition

Ax

biographical name

Emanuel 1949–     American (Ukrainian-born of Polish parents) pianist

More from Merriam-Webster on ax

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