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
By putting the pension reform on the chopping block, Lecornu threatens to kill off one of Macron’s main economic legacies at a time when France’s public finances are in a perilous state, leaving the president with little in the way of domestic achievements after eight years in office.
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CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Black women make up 12% of the federal workforce, and their jobs have been on the chopping block since Elon Musk revved up his chainsaw and even before this government shutdown.
—Sheletta Brundidge, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
Language departments have too often been the first on the chopping block, especially when enrollments dip.
—Annie K. Lamar, Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2025
Grapevine-Colleyville school board president Shannon Braun said the district will close elementary campuses, but no decisions have been made on how many will be on the chopping block.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the chopping block
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CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Black women make up 12% of the federal workforce, and their jobs have been on the chopping block since Elon Musk revved up his chainsaw and even before this government shutdown.
—Sheletta Brundidge, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
Language departments have too often been the first on the chopping block, especially when enrollments dip.
—Annie K. Lamar, Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2025
Grapevine-Colleyville school board president Shannon Braun said the district will close elementary campuses, but no decisions have been made on how many will be on the chopping block.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 21 Oct. 2025.
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