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
The host feigned confusion, grabbing a foam axe from under his desk. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 Jan. 2025 To suggest that hateful, immoral behavior is being driven by a cabal of the Catholic Church wielding the axe of natural law is to engage in the very hate- and fearmongering that Schwartz seems to eschew. Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
Verb
The series, which also stars Lowe’s son John Owen Lowe, premiered its second season on August 1 and was axed in October. Peter White, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025 The congestion plan to reduce traffic and raise funds for New York's public transport was recently axed by President , potentially leading to the loss of millions in revenue for the city. Hugh Cameron, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ax
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ax
Noun
  • The intrigue: Rahn, a disabled U.S. Army veteran, worked as a civilian federal government employee for about five years before his dismissal, but was considered probationary because he'd been promoted from the Department of Defense to his role with CISA within the past year.
    Jessica Boehm, Axios, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Some people might say the same about Menke’s dismissal.
    Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The four-man pass rush generated 16 pressures and sacked Mahomes six times, the most in his career.
    Nate Taylor, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The Philadelphia Eagles completely stymied the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense in Super Bowl LIX, sacking Patrick Mahomes and causing three turnovers on their way to a big win.
    Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • If that’s not enough, Wayne Cascio says companies should attempt to reduce hours or initiate furloughs (a temporary unpaid leave of absence) rather than layoffs.
    Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The furloughs would apply to most state employees, except for critical positions such as state troopers and correctional facility staff.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • So we’re introduced to Joseph, freshly fired from a menial job and stepping into a world that doesn’t want him.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Ødegaard fired in another goal midway through the second half and later played a brilliant ball to Riccardo Calafiori, who completed the rout on 85 minutes.
    George Ramsay, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Importantly, Google can't remove content from webpages—you're on your own there.
    Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Hansi Flick turned towards the bench and energetically removed his black jacket.
    Laia Cervelló Herrero, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Less than two weeks after the incident, though, all charges were dismissed.
    Ben Church, CNN, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Sassoon’s resignation was followed by additional resignations and firings of other Justice Department lawyers who also refused to assist in dismissing the indictment.
    Nick Akerman, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The elder of the duo then decides to terminate the experience and the program provides a serum that will kill Sue. Midway through injecting Sue with the serum, Elisabeth has second thoughts and attempts to revive her counterpart.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Uncertainty is clearly the order of the day (Trump vs Zelenskyy, DOGE’s actions to terminate thousands of federal jobs, the imposition of tariffs beginning March 5th).
    Robert Barone, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) released a statement regarding Knox, explaining their decision to disqualify him from the state tournament.
    Scott Thompson, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025
  • At around the same time, a Red Cross convoy carrying several dozen released Palestinian prisoners left Israel's Ofer prison.
    WAFAA SHURAFA, arkansasonline.com, 27 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ax. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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