axes 1 of 3

Definition of axesnext
plural of ax
as in dismissals
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

axes

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of axis

axes

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of ax

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 axes
Noun
Plus, the Paintbox kids also spend time outside with an archery and kid-friendly axe-throwing set (no real axes, although there are for adults) and at the farm for various activities. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026 Palstave axes were designed with a side loop to be securely attached to a wooden handle. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026 Both axes line up with digital forensic work. Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 Cavemen had clubs, Vikings had axes, but what can the modern man-about-town brandish to continue this martial tradition, while steering clear of city ordinances and the disapproval of his peers? Air Mail, 9 May 2026 In a high valley, a troop of men hastened in his direction, carrying axes and long knives. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026 The 45,000-square-foot, multilevel attraction will featuring 60 physical and mental games that involve feats such as solving puzzles and dodging swing axes. Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026 The fur trade brought smallpox to the Pacific Northwest—including a particularly devastating outbreak in 1862—but also metal axes, chisels, and adzes, which displaced carving tools made of stone. Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026 What did that earth remember, that patch of chalky Pleistocene tuff full of the petrified remains of pre-people and their stone hand axes? Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
The passed by Republicans last month axes the credits for projects that don’t begin producing electricity by 2028. Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for axes
Noun
  • The Mulholland Drive actress has since become one of the most visible voices urging women to recognize perimenopause symptoms earlier, writing a book on the subject and speaking openly about the years of confusion, shame and dismissals that shaped her experience.
    Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
  • Korey’s record reports multimillion-dollar personal injury case results, more than 1,000 criminal-defense clients served, more than 500 dismissals, and recognition through The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and FOX 26 News.
    Matt Emma, USA Today, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • That fear, in 2026, centers on how rapid information exchange and artificial intelligence are reshaping human thought into something collective and homogenized.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 May 2026
  • The late Pope Francis famously stayed away from the big European centers of Christianity during his 12-year pontificate, preferring instead to visit small Catholic communities far from Rome.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 May 2026
Noun
  • These poles are not relics but living records of family lineage, alliances, and legends.
    Josh Rivera, USA Today, 13 May 2026
  • By upending decades-old international trade norms and security alliances – not to mention launching a war with Iran that seems to have benefited almost no one – Trump is seen by many to have helped China score not only strategically but even morally.
    Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
Verb
  • Manning, back for what is probably his final season, is on the short list of best returning quarterbacks in the country and edge rusher Colin Simmons won the SEC sacks title with 12.
    Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 3 Jan. 2026
  • Riley Moss sacks a scrambling Trevor Lawrence on third-and-4 for a 1-yard loss.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The firings come on top of huge cuts to the NSF’s budget and the loss of more than 30% of NSF staff since January 2025.
    Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
  • Critics say the problem has only been compounded by a raft of cuts and firings and by the broader disruption brought by Kennedy’s health policies.
    Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • Few capitals boast as dramatic a setting as Santiago, Chile, which is squished between the Chilean Coast Range and some of the highest mountains in the Andes.
    Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 May 2026
  • The altar was flanked by two twelve-foot-high columns of green marble topped by Corinthian capitals supporting a larger, curved pediment, next to which were two oversize American flags set into floor stands.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the LIRR, has spent months negotiating a new contract with five unions that represent about 3,500 workers, or roughly half of system’s workforce.
    Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 15 May 2026
  • Then, unions can bargain over the issue with the new boss.
    William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Only the United States, a few NATO allies, Russia and Iran are believed to have this kind of high-speed torpedo, which fires air ahead of the weapon to reduce the drag of the water.
    Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
  • Hollis fires and Schultz fires his weapon a dozen times.
    Jason Rantala, CBS News, 11 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Axes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/axes. Accessed 18 May. 2026.

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