ax 1 of 2

noun

ˈaks How to pronounce ax (audio)
variants or axe
Definition of axnext
as in dismissal
the termination of the employment of an employee or a work force often temporarily the company was hemorrhaging money, so 700 employees would soon be given the ax

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ax

2 of 2

verb

variants or axe
as in to sack
to let go from office, service, or employment the boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ax
Noun
He was hacked to death with an axe, along with his second wife, Abby Borden (Rebecca Hall), in August 892. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026 Some locations have bocce and pickleball courts; other chains have added ropes courses and axe-throwing. — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
But it was ultimately axed by Murdoch fearing executives higher up. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 July 2026 But in late 2024, a Romanian judge ruled that prosecutorial mishaps had axed the upcoming trial. — Kat Tenbarge, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ax
  1. dismissal
  2. sack
  3. firing
  4. fire
  5. furlough
  6. remove
  7. dismiss
  8. retire
Noun
  • The former defence minister is popular among younger Ukrainians and his dismissal in July sparked protests across the country.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Opinion polls taken in recent weeks show that Fedorov has grown popular enough in Ukraine since his dismissal to pose a serious challenge to Zelensky in a presidential race.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • After the third consecutive three-and-out ended with Young getting sacked, former Panther QB Jake Delhomme spoke for a lot of fans on the TV broadcast.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Cofnas was sacked by Cambridge in the wake of controversy caused by his comments.
    — Rupert Neate, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of sack
Noun
  • The exposé alleged that Gomez was trying to distance herself from the company and outlined the messy firing of chief executive Daniella Pierson.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
  • More than 10 individual firings, between 900-910°C, were needed to create the clock.
    — Ming Liu, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of firing
Verb
  • The Islamic Republic proceeded to fire missiles and drones on neighboring countries hosting US bases.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The return also shows DePaul paid a $863,500 buyout last fiscal cycle to former head men’s basketball Tony Stubblefield, who was fired in early 2024 after less than three seasons on the job.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • In fact, furlough transfers where minimum security inmates transfer from prison to prison are routine, allowing inmates the opportunity to catch their own ride to their next destination.
    — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The district plan also includes unpaid furlough days for workers, but employees unions so far are not going along.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of furlough
Verb
  • Merck and Moderna have several large trials under way in non-small cell lung cancers that have been surgically removed.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond removing the psychological and practical barrier of injections, oral formulations are not reliant on syringes or refrigeration and are cheaper to manufacture.
    — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of remove
Verb
  • Zhykovych’s lawyer, Anatoliy Ivanov, dismissed the allegations, telling CNN that Reut was the organizer and killer and was seeking to shift the blame onto Zhykovych.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Chauvin is looking to have his conviction vacated and the charges dismissed.
    — Riley Moser, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • After retiring from working in 2019, Norris enjoyed growing and arranging flowers from her yard.
    — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • As of Friday afternoon, Bobby Valli had edited the post to leave out the claim that his brother would retire.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of retire

Browse Nearby Words

aw-shucks
ax
axed
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Cite this Entry

“Ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ax. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ax

Nglish: Translation of ax for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ax

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