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)
see also axe to grind
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.
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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
As if shutting the government down in the name of health insurance subsidies wasn’t enough, a federal judge took an axe to another meaningful way to reform American health policy – auditing bad actors in Medicare Advantage.
—Juliette Madrigal, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
Instead, Shimizu must do her best with wooden boards, pipes, a knife, and later an axe.
—Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Everything explodes on a summer day in 1980, when Candy strikes Betty 41 times with an axe following a confrontation.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
First, when Will’s mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), confronts a Demogorgon with an axe, Will sees through its eyes — and the creature appears to back off.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
That is, of course, in addition to virtual golf games, axe throwing, darts and more.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2025
Still, there’s some uncertainty as to where the axe will fall.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2025
Some of the people in power have an axe to grind.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2025
Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2025
As a result, there was no cold open, while appearances by Candice Bergen, Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm were canceled and live musical performances by Charli xcx got axed.
—Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
In order not to axe team members, the business slashed the hours staff were scheduled for.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
But the squirrel scene was nearly axed from the film.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Nov. 2025
There was hope that a sequel would come about, but both Johnson and Blunt have all but confirmed the sequel has been axed.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
The latest effort to axe the agency.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
That caps off a tough year for the brand, which ended a salad subscription program and axed selling fries after just five months.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Professional network Long Angle found that about 1 in 5 millionaires are planning to axe their wealth advisors, and that only a third use one for financial planning.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
But Timothy has an axe to grind.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
As if shutting the government down in the name of health insurance subsidies wasn’t enough, a federal judge took an axe to another meaningful way to reform American health policy – auditing bad actors in Medicare Advantage.
—Juliette Madrigal, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
Instead, Shimizu must do her best with wooden boards, pipes, a knife, and later an axe.
—Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Everything explodes on a summer day in 1980, when Candy strikes Betty 41 times with an axe following a confrontation.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
First, when Will’s mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), confronts a Demogorgon with an axe, Will sees through its eyes — and the creature appears to back off.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025
That is, of course, in addition to virtual golf games, axe throwing, darts and more.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2025
Still, there’s some uncertainty as to where the axe will fall.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2025
Some of the people in power have an axe to grind.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2025
Verb
However, Nike also axed the positions of two EVPs on the SLT team; chief commercial officer Craig Williams and chief technology officer Muge Dogan are exiting the company, with Nike eliminating the CCO role entirely.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Dec. 2025
As a result, there was no cold open, while appearances by Candice Bergen, Jimmy Fallon and Jon Hamm were canceled and live musical performances by Charli xcx got axed.
—Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
In order not to axe team members, the business slashed the hours staff were scheduled for.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
But the squirrel scene was nearly axed from the film.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Nov. 2025
There was hope that a sequel would come about, but both Johnson and Blunt have all but confirmed the sequel has been axed.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
The latest effort to axe the agency.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
That caps off a tough year for the brand, which ended a salad subscription program and axed selling fries after just five months.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Professional network Long Angle found that about 1 in 5 millionaires are planning to axe their wealth advisors, and that only a third use one for financial planning.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Axe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axe. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
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