axing

verb

present participle of ax
as in sacking
to let go from office, service, or employment the boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 axing For the first time since temporarily axing the base model WRX for 2025, Subaru regained traction with its sport compact, with sales jumping 50% from a year ago. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 4 June 2026 More than a dozen are rumored to be on his shortlist for axing, after several more were voluntarily killed or amended to avoid the gallows. — Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 15 May 2026 Brendan McDermid | Reuters Amazon is axing its Rufus chatbot and making its Alexa assistant the centerpiece of its artificial intelligence shopping strategy. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 13 May 2026 Amazon has been laying off staff en masse this year, axing over 16,000 employees in 2026 so far. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 2 May 2026 The city is also contemplating axing more than 94 vacant jobs. — Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026 The biggest headline in Europe this week was German airline Lufthansa axing 20,000 flights through October. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026 Membership perks are also changing, with the city axing unlimited play time for annual members and removing reserved tee times that were always set aside for several longstanding golf associations in the city. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for axing
  1. sacking
  2. removing
  3. dismissing
  4. firing
  5. retiring
  6. releasing
Verb
  • To an outsider, the scene may spark a certain Schadenfreude, like an army of tiny barbarians sacking Rome.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • One source close to the squad, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, told The Athletic that the AUF considered sacking Bielsa around this period, aware of the ongoing issues with the squad.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 June 2026
Definition of sacking
Verb
  • The damage uncovered Contractors discovered the extent of the deterioration in January after removing tile and black mastic from Aviator’s kitchen floor.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • The second, the critic, checks whether the scene looks realistic and suggests improvements, such as removing objects that do not belong in a particular room.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of removing
Verb
  • The two commissioners selected by congressional Democrats, Chairman Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, each received an email dismissing them on July 9.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • England went into the Mexico match inspired by having so many factors against them and with a lot of people dismissing their chances of winning the tournament.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of dismissing
Verb
  • For example, China turned off 3 million barrels per day in refinery output, according to JPMorgan, as the government massively ramped up its coal-firing plants and electric vehicle push.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Prosecutors accuse him of lying about the violent encounter, and firing through Sosa-Celis' front door while young children were home.
    — Esme Murphy, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of firing
Verb
  • Fricker went on to star in another ITV drama Seekers, 1994 sports comedy Angels in the Outfield, 1997’s Masterminds, and 2011’s Albert Nobbs, before retiring from big-screen roles in 2015.
    — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
  • The three-time Pro Bowl running back racked up 9,651 rushing yards and 55 rushing touchdowns in his NFL career, before retiring in 2017.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of retiring
Verb
  • Tribute to Joshua McKee On Friday morning, hours before releasing basic details on McKee’s death, BPU on Facebook also posted a tribute and photo array in honor of the veteran lineman, while thanking the community for its support.
    — Eric Adler July 18, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
  • During the exercise, crews loaded 500-pound BDU-50 and 2,000-pound BDU-56 practice bombs onto the aircraft before releasing them over the Mountain Home bombing range.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026
Definition of releasing

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axes
axing
axiom
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Cite this Entry

“Axing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/axing. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on axing

Nglish: Translation of axing for Spanish Speakers

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