ax 1 of 2

variants or axe
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
Guests will also have access to axe throwing and a courtyard area to rest between haunts. Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025 Actor and musician Corey Feldman and two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis got the axe. Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
The broadcast standards department could, and often does, step in during the writing phase and can request that the team axe a joke entirely. Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025 However, the tech giant has also simultaneously undergone a significant internal transformation, axing more than 15,000 positions—about 7% of the company’s global workforce—since January, making its largest personnel reduction since 2014. Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ax
Noun
  • The director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Sergio Gor, announced Shogan’s dismissal in February on social media.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Attorneys argued in court Thursday morning over Trauernicht’s request for the diversion program, which could result in the dismissal of his felony charge for the alleged crime.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Notre Dame fell 27-24 to Miami in the season opener, when Carr was sacked three times.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Being sacked by Chelsea and then West Ham in less than three years is slightly different to winning league and European trophies and being a statue-level hero at three different clubs, or taking England to two major finals and making the national team likeable again.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The White House has also said the shutdown could lead to more layoffs instead of furloughs.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Leavitt and Vance told reporters that a prolonged shutdown would require permanent cuts, even while lapses in spending generally only lead to temporary furloughs.
    Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When the Braves failed to gain traction by early summer, the consensus among baseball observers was that Snitker wouldn’t be fired during the season.
    David O'Brien, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Arkansas coach Sam Pittman was fired Sunday, and defensive coordinator Travis Williams and co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson were dismissed Monday.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Officials urge residents to take precautions like using insect repellent and removing standing water.
    Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Yet, Barclays’ Venkateshwar expects the environment will likely get more difficult for the wireless carrier in the future, as the entire sector deals with elevated churn — the pace at which customers are added and removed.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Seven of those charged previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and prosecutors moved to dismiss their felony counts.
    Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Olguin dismissed the case in 2022 after finding Elden’s claims were time-barred without addressing the substance of his allegations.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In November, Austin was alerted her employment would be terminated.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
  • That was why two other respected federal prosecutors in the Miami office were abruptly terminated this year.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • According to figures from a housing assessment released this April, the median house value in Fayetteville has grown 275% in the last two decades, and the median gross rent has increased 78%.
    Juan Cordoba, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2025
  • In the lead-up to the tournament, Argentina had played a series of friendlies without him, since Valencia refused to release him.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ax. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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