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.
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
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
Her grandfather, Mikhail Alexandrovich, immediately sets about beating the left-handedness out of her, and occasionally chasing her with an axe.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Perhaps the new show has an improbable axe throw of its own.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
There’s even a mold to make metal axe heads, a skill some archaeologists argued didn’t exist in Thailand 3,500 years ago.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
Traditionally that date was reserved for tracks on life support, a last chance before the axe.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Excursions to go horseback riding, try axe throwing and archery, or go fishing are all easy to plan as well.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
Roboto also has one arm that features interchangeable hands, such as a claw, laser gun, or axe.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2025
The festival features competitions in archery, belly dancing, murals, axe throwing, barbecue, fairy houses and gardening.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
The company said its agent has the power to axe weeks’ worth of work from the sourcing process, consolidating the same tasks into minutes.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
At the time of writing, DOGE’s savings calculator claims to have axed $202 billion from the government’s bottom line.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
In March, reports surfaced that Sonos axed its streaming video player.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2025
Disney isn't axing its streaming service like some reports suggest, but the company will further integrate Hulu and Disney+ in 2026 amid rough terrain in the streaming business.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025
The projects that are being axed were funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a Department of Health and Human Services program that works with the pharmaceutical industry to develop vaccines and other countermeasures for public health emergencies.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2025
The vehicle proved a laughing stock in the press, and buyers never showed up; while the Navigator moved almost 44,000 units in its first full year on sale, the Blackwood languished in showrooms, prompting Lincoln to axe it after one model year and just 3,383 sales.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Season 4 is currently being developed with Ella Beatty taking on the lead role of Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, MA.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025
Her grandfather, Mikhail Alexandrovich, immediately sets about beating the left-handedness out of her, and occasionally chasing her with an axe.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Perhaps the new show has an improbable axe throw of its own.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
There’s even a mold to make metal axe heads, a skill some archaeologists argued didn’t exist in Thailand 3,500 years ago.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
Traditionally that date was reserved for tracks on life support, a last chance before the axe.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Excursions to go horseback riding, try axe throwing and archery, or go fishing are all easy to plan as well.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
Roboto also has one arm that features interchangeable hands, such as a claw, laser gun, or axe.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2025
The festival features competitions in archery, belly dancing, murals, axe throwing, barbecue, fairy houses and gardening.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
The reduction came as rents in Chicago keep rising and after the state grappled with serious fiscal challenges when balancing its budget this year, issues exacerbated by a federal government focused on axing spending.
—Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
The company said its agent has the power to axe weeks’ worth of work from the sourcing process, consolidating the same tasks into minutes.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
At the time of writing, DOGE’s savings calculator claims to have axed $202 billion from the government’s bottom line.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
In March, reports surfaced that Sonos axed its streaming video player.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2025
Disney isn't axing its streaming service like some reports suggest, but the company will further integrate Hulu and Disney+ in 2026 amid rough terrain in the streaming business.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2025
The projects that are being axed were funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a Department of Health and Human Services program that works with the pharmaceutical industry to develop vaccines and other countermeasures for public health emergencies.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2025
The vehicle proved a laughing stock in the press, and buyers never showed up; while the Navigator moved almost 44,000 units in its first full year on sale, the Blackwood languished in showrooms, prompting Lincoln to axe it after one model year and just 3,383 sales.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Axe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axe. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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