variants
or British poleaxe
poleaxes; poleaxed; poleaxing
: to hit and knock down (someone)
He went down as if he'd been poleaxed.
—often used figurativelyI was poleaxed [=shocked and stunned] by the horrible news.
The department has been poleaxed by cutbacks.
Cite this Entry
“Poleax.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/poleax. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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