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
The lawyer also argued the case was exaggerated and that testimony by witnesses who cut deals with prosecutors or had axes to grind shouldn’t be trusted. Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026 In fact, topography made this impossible, and Costa had to curve one of the axes, resulting in the airplane shape that made his project famous. Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026 Milestone said the climbers had crampons, ice axes, and helmets, but the one who fell lost his gear in the tumble. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026 Patrons could reserve lanes or walk in for throwing sessions after a brief safety lesson, with staff nearby to supervise while axes were in the air. Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 7 Mar. 2026 But recalling that debate, there was an effort to make the case for regime change along several different axes, no pun intended. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026 Between 2020 and 2022, a hoard of Bronze Age artifacts including axes, spearheads, rings and a sword scabbard were discovered by metal detectorists in Wales. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026 From Acheulean hand axes to supercomputers, human innovation has always depended on tradition, expertise, collaboration and humanity. R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026 Other sufferers, however, who submitted entries to the 1983 Migraine Art Competition, depicted their pain in drawings and paintings of nails, needles, axes, ice picks, arrows, bolts, jaws, chisels, shivs, guns, red-hot spears, sledgehammers, devils, and long pins. Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 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
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
Verb
  • When a police department fires an officer, state law requires the agency to notify CLEET.
    Ashlynd Baecht, The Frontier, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Three shots can be heard as the officer fires his gun.
    Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Mechanical thinning removes smaller trees and brush so forests are less crowded.
    Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Fazio was shown how to use the grayscale mode on his phone, which removes the color, turning the screen to black-and-white.
    Meg Oliver, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Ohm, a cynical skeptic, dismisses their claims.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Evy is the skeptic who dismisses the noises as either an online hoax or bad plumbing.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street.
    Matthew J. Belvedere,Jeff Marks,Paulina Likos, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Hill directed, co-wrote and stars in the movie that Apple TV releases April 10.
    Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The most common strategy seems to be doing Roth conversions during the later stages of employment, particularly if one spouse retires before the other so family income decreases.
    Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
  • The average American worker retires at age 62, according to to survey data from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Axes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/axes. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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