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
In 2022, an 18-year-old man attacked two female teachers with a knife and an ax in a school in Malmo, killing them. — CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Khn went back and forth between guitar to bass parts, using his foot pedals to record and play live loop segments from each half of his axe, creating wonderfully rhythmic passages and walls of sounds. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
The popular Red, Hot & Boom event — one of the largest Independence Day fireworks shows in Central Florida — has grown too expensive and too large and should be axed from the city budget, Altamonte Springs officials say. — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 Know More Schwartz took over in 2023 and axed any business in which Carlyle wasn’t or couldn’t be top-three. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 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
  • Cook denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit challenging her dismissal.
    — Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Wide receiver Cam Vaughn has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami and the NCAA in an attempt to enter the transfer portal, a little more than one week after the Hurricanes announced his dismissal from the program.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissal
Verb
  • But as his career was sacked, as television pundits continued to make personal attacks, and as 986 people were killed by police in 2017, Kaepernick stayed largely quiet.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Craig was sacked three times and once UNC started keying on the run, the Horned Frogs struggled to match the Tar Heels’ physicality.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sack
Noun
  • Training units would not need to replace the complete launch pod after every firing cycle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Among other requests, the complaint asked the court to declare the firings unlawful under the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedures Act and bar the Pentagon from proceeding with the terminations.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of firing
Verb
  • The scale of this reliance was particularly evident during the 2022 fighting in the Donbas region, when Russian forces were firing approximately 20,000 artillery rounds per day, with peak rates exceeding 32,000 rounds on some days.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Iran still has enough drones and missiles to fire at vessels transiting the vital energy waterway, through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows, effectively controlling much of the traffic in the strait.
    — Konstantin Toropin, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • Former employees said Monday was coincidentally the day their layoffs from the hospital became official after months of furlough.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of furlough
Verb
  • In sick bay, M’Benga tries to remove the table and end his life so Chapel can give up on him, an effort that proves futile.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Though your home may have its share of appliances, mail, mugs, or anything else that lives on your countertops daily, they should be removed before listing.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of remove
Verb
  • But Smith dismissed the idea that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was trying to boost his chances in upcoming domestic elections.
    — Samantha Subin,CJ Haddad,Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Also Tuesday, just after court was dismissed, Dawn Light, 56, of Sutton, Massachusetts, was arrested outside the courthouse in Plymouth, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police confirmed.
    — Blayne Alexander, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • The sellers, who are retiring, bought the retail space from The Arlington’s original developers back in 2007, Walker said.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The man who caught him, Pete Willis (De Niro), has been retired from public service for almost as long, even if there are still a few loose ends that haunt him.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 28 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 3 Sep. 2026.

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