ax 1 of 2

variants or axe
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

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
After not impressing in the leadership, Doohan was given the axe by Alpine in the first half of the season. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 Then there’s the plastic axe throwing, cornhole, Sauce Toss (a backyard-style hockey game), plus their own version of a Shot-Ski, a hockey stick with three shot glasses glued to it so friends can drink together. Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2025
Verb
But even the remote nation that cited Buddhist teachings as a reason for its tobacco ban has not been immune to outside influence and axed the majority of its ban in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic to stop smugglers which were spreading the disease. Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 Trump, however, says his administration may axe it. Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for ax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ax
Noun
  • The Justice Department’s dismissal of the charges comes as Moore started a 15-day trial earlier this week in Salt Lake City, Utah.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump’s potential dismissal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is a major and underpriced risk that could trigger a selloff in the US dollar and Treasuries, a Deutsche Bank AG strategist said.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • On a stroll through New York City yesterday, Hathaway’s outfit offered a fun solution for not sacking off your denim in the high summer heat just yet.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 10 July 2025
  • Ange Postecoglou was sacked two weeks later and replaced by Thomas Frank.
    Jay Harris, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • On June 10, Kelly filed an emergency motion for temporary furlough, claiming there is explicit evidence that officials solicited an inmate to murder him while in custody at a federal penitentiary in North Carolina.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 19 June 2025
  • The judge had released him from jail on a medical furlough in 2018 due to a cancer diagnosis and other medical issues.
    Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • The Nationals’ selection came a week after the organization fired manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
  • While unconfirmed, sources say the film revolves around the period at the artificial intelligence company OpenAI in 2023 that saw CEO Sam Altman fired and rehired in a matter of days.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Machado, now 21 months removed from elbow surgery, is batting .293, 13 percentage points above his career average.
    Dennis Lin, New York Times, 8 July 2025
  • Why are passengers required to remove their shoes at security checkpoints?
    Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 8 July 2025
Verb
  • They have since been dismissed by the local solicitor general's office, WSB-TV reported.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 12 July 2025
  • With the reciprocal tariffs, Trump is dismissing the rules governing world trade.
    Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Fitch decides to terminate the experiment, which means killing Sil by filling her containment cell with cyanide gas.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2025
  • Proctor was fired in March when Noble accepted the MSP Trial Board’s recommendation to terminate Proctor for failing to uphold agency standards.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Just in time for the dog days of summer, Farmers' Almanac released its extended fall forecast.
    Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
  • The award-winning costume designer will release The Fashion of Clueless (Simon & Schuster) in Oct. 7, now available for preorder on Amazon, Bookshop and other retailers.
    Danielle Directo-Meston, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ax. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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