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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
The axe came down swiftly and brutally, but, speaking candidly, Geoff Daniels, PBS’ Vice President, Programming & Development, was gracious about it, thanking the audience of mostly media industry people for their camaraderie. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 June 2026 In April 2026, Deadline confirmed that the young adult series The Runarounds was the first show to get the axe. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Verb
Since September of 2024, federal science agencies in the US have axed nearly 120,000 employees, in a stinging loss for public research. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 June 2026 Teamster leadership axed Baird and Cirkelis from their roles in the boycott in 1975 over their ties to the United Farm Workers, and Local 888 was dissolved not long after. — H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 12 June 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 two seasons of the podcast have drawn national attention to the dismissal of women’s pain.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 July 2026
  • The department then request a GBI investigation on June 25, 2026, leading to the arrests and dismissal of the officers.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • The Hightowers, Rhaenyra soon learns, have sacked the town of Tumbleton, a thriving city on the border of the Crownlands and the Reach.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • That came in the spring of 2025, about 11 months after his dad had been sacked as coach, when Pochettino, the new manager, gave the younger Berhalter his first national team call-up.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of sack
Noun
  • Nieporte filed a federal lawsuit in May against human resources company ADP Totalsource for its role in his firing, seeking at least $30 million.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • Such blindsiding firings aren't limited to struggling employees; experienced professionals and executives are also abruptly dismissed due to shifting business priorities, restructuring, or leadership changes.
    — Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of firing
Verb
  • China last tested an ICBM launched into the Pacific in September 2024, firing a DF-31B nuclear-capable missile from Hainan Island in the South China Sea into the open Pacific near French Polynesia.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Police release video of the person racing across the roof of the building from where authorities say the shot was fired, dropping down to the ground and walking off campus.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • The city of Dallas announced Tuesday that General Fund employees will be required to take at least three furlough days to address the 2026 budget shortfall.
    — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • According to the city, on the three dates, non-uniform employees funded by the city's general fund will be required to participate in the furlough, and the days will be recorded as leave without pay.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 30 June 2026
Definition of furlough
Verb
  • The directives also require the companies to remove, within 45 days, the millions of pounds of rotting food inside the warehouse.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • To manage operational heat, the hardware uses a thermal strategy that entirely removes mechanical components like fans or liquid pumps.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Definition of remove
Verb
  • That suit was dismissed after a judge ruled that Lively’s accusations were protected by litigation privilege.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 9 July 2026
  • News outlets uncovered years-old comments on Reddit that appeared to endorse political violence, dismiss rape in the military, criticize rural Americans and use anti-gay slurs.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • Six days after the Yankees' first 15 batters couldn't get a hit off Bennett, the lanky left-hander retired the Angels' first 13 batters before Vaughn Grissom's fifth-inning single.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Six days after the Yankees’ first 15 batters couldn’t get a hit off Bennett, the lanky left-hander retired the Angels’ first 13 batters before Vaughn Grissom’s fifth-inning single.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of retire

Browse Nearby Words

aw-shucks
ax
axed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ax. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ax

Nglish: Translation of ax for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ax

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All