as in sacking
to let go from office, service, or employment
the boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets
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Recent Examples of axing
Mass deporting migrants, brazenly axing federal grants and jobs, pursuing an inflationary trade war, risking the lives of soldiers to trouble the sovereignty of hemispheric neighbors—these things are shaking the everyday lives of Americans.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Dodge, still suffering the consequences of axing the popular previous generations of Charger and Challenger muscle cars, saw sales stumble down 28% compared with the previous year.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Year 2 of ShoddyBall should be better than Year 1, but the 2025 team revealed so many weaknesses, needs and holes that axing a defensive coordinator is only going to get you so far.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Jan. 2026
Since then, his administration has proposed axing regulations on coal and gas power plants.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2025
Mekies took over after Christian Horner’s surprise axing following this year’s British GP and quickly earned the respect of not just critical pieces of the Red Bull squad (aka Verstappen’s camp), but also many outside F1 observers.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Intel’s big new Ohio chip fab is delayed until at least 2030, and Tan has made major cost cuts by slashing 15% of the workforce in July and axing projects in Germany and Poland.
—Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
There was also a coaching confrontation, as Woodward reportedly wanted to make changes to Kelly’s staff, which included axing offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The Times’ reporting did not include any information about axing jobs for active Amazon workers.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 22 Oct. 2025
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Dodge, still suffering the consequences of axing the popular previous generations of Charger and Challenger muscle cars, saw sales stumble down 28% compared with the previous year.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
Year 2 of ShoddyBall should be better than Year 1, but the 2025 team revealed so many weaknesses, needs and holes that axing a defensive coordinator is only going to get you so far.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Jan. 2026
Since then, his administration has proposed axing regulations on coal and gas power plants.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2025
Mekies took over after Christian Horner’s surprise axing following this year’s British GP and quickly earned the respect of not just critical pieces of the Red Bull squad (aka Verstappen’s camp), but also many outside F1 observers.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Intel’s big new Ohio chip fab is delayed until at least 2030, and Tan has made major cost cuts by slashing 15% of the workforce in July and axing projects in Germany and Poland.
—Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
There was also a coaching confrontation, as Woodward reportedly wanted to make changes to Kelly’s staff, which included axing offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The Times’ reporting did not include any information about axing jobs for active Amazon workers.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for axing
Verb
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Getty Images Tottenham Hotspur are searching for their eighth manager/head coach (interim and permanent) since 2019 after sacking Thomas Frank on Wednesday amid a run of two wins in 17 Premier League games.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
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Seattle swarmed quarterback Drake Maye all game, sacking him six times and forcing three turnovers, leaving New England scoreless through the first three quarters.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the reservoirs of the Republican and Democratic voters evaporate, independents are becoming a stream of optimism for removing the wasteful and destructive policy of the two-party war that is pushing us further apart.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
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How to get rid of fruit flies To quickly eliminate fruit flies, start by thoroughly cleaning your kitchen and removing overripe or rotting fruits and vegetables.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Rather than dismissing student activism as naïve or disruptive, civic leaders can engage these young Marylanders in real discussions about how government works and how citizens influence change.—
Karl W. Bickel,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Feb. 2026
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And more generally, Jim isn’t dismissing the presence of some bad loans within the private credit complex.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Across New England, boys and girls are in their driveways, firing pucks against garage doors until the winter light fades.—
Peter Folan,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
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In September 2014, Bird was arrested and charged for allegedly firing shots at a Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff’s deputy investigating a theft at a construction site at 191st Street and State Line Road.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While retiring isn’t on her mind, Alysa has emphasized the importance of taking breaks in order to advance in your career.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
24 Feb. 2026
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With Bozeman retiring, the Chargers will initially save close to $6 million in space, according to Over the Cap.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Two and a half months ago, when Diggs faced strangulation and assault charges that seemed to threaten his immediate football future, the Patriots stood with their star receiver by releasing an atypically strong statement.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Buckley is the rare artist getting a shot at being elected on the basis of releasing only one album in his lifetime.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Axing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/axing. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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