ax 1 of 2

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

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
Wielding an axe, the 26-year-old Englewood resident damaged the hoods and windows of a dozen cars parked in the lot, causing more than $75,000 in damage, prosecutors said. Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026 Guests can also enjoy an axe-throwing area, a fire pit and a horseshoe pit. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
Of course, dozens of companies have been axing staff and restructuring for a digital future, which is perhaps the BBC’s biggest challenge. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026 Last year, the company axed 48,000 employees, many of which worked as delivery drivers and warehouse workers. Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ax
Noun
  • Red cards carry an automatic dismissal and a mandatory one-game benching.
    Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
  • That student had been let out of school early and returned to the area around dismissal, according to the report.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Los Angeles Chargers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama Justin Herbert played some incredible football despite being sacked 54 times in 2025, which was one fewer than Cam Ward and Geno Smith, who tied for the league lead.
    Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Downing Street has blamed the Foreign Office for the failure, and a top civil servant has reportedly been sacked.
    Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The department has encountered legal challenges to the firings.
    Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Also, to fill the gap created by the administration's own firings, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized sending military lawyers (known as JAGs) to serve as temporary immigration judges for six-month rotations.
    Ted Koppel, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Three Georgia State Patrol troopers and their supervisor were fired from the department after an investigation revealed a scheme where officers used insurance claims to profit off of vehicle chases, an internal report concluded.
    Asia Simone Burns, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Quinlan represents former district CEO Pedro Martinez, who was fired without cause in December 2024, in an ongoing lawsuit against several current and former board members.
    Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Pilot and flight attendant unions had also made concessions, including going on furlough in recent months, in a bid to help Spirit survive.
    Leslie Josephs,Phil LeBeau, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
  • No layoffs or furloughs are planned and vendors will be paid.
    Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The president ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March, shortly before removing Attorney General Pam Bondi from the Justice Department in early April.
    Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
  • The requirement to print ballots one month before Election Day does not present an insurmountable obstacle to removing candidates; modern technology could facilitate supplemental ballots even within government bureaucracies, making the current restriction outdated.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Federal Court Justice James Stellios ruled in dismissing the appeal that no jurisdiction error was made in 2024 by then Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in ordering Duggan's extradition.
    CBS News, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Maasdorp called for a pivot toward investment, capital mobilization, and regional integration, saying BII was looking to forge partnerships that de-risk investment in markets long dismissed as too volatile.
    Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • These threats are something Shojaei and her family know all too well — her brother Masoud, who is retired from playing, has had his assets frozen by the Iranian regime over recent weeks — while their neighbourhood was bombed by the US-Israeli offensive.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
  • He was forced to retire amid his battle with MS, which affects communication between the brain and body.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ax. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

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