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
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
An emergency bill passed in Washington, DC, axing key tax breaks touted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, means states on the hunt for money, shows how many states are looking to shore up budgets by decoupling from federal tax laws.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Nov. 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
And that's because the rot appears to be spreading up the age range to the point that British first-time parents are now more likely to support axing the crown than ever before.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for axing
Verb
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Luckily for the Bears, the Packers have allowed nearly 100 more rushing yards per game without Parsons, in addition to sacking quarterbacks less than half as often.—
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The Seahawks harassed Purdy throughout the night, sacking him three times and hitting him eight more.—
Verb
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Lucas offered to amend the ordinance, removing the requirement for detention facilities, as well as for other facilities or buildings paid for with public safety sales tax money.—
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If surrounding trees are contributing to harmful debris buildup in your AC unit, pruning overhanging branches or removing the trees might be necessary to protect the unit.—
Verb
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Confidence can tip into defensiveness, so your challenge has a lot to do with asserting boundaries without emotional withdrawal and honoring your needs without dismissing others.—
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The president spoke little about democracy in Venezuela, dismissing a potential role for its longstanding democratic opposition in running the country in the immediate aftermath of the operation.—
Verb
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In video footage released about a month after the shooting, the police department said officers first encountered Cortez after responding to a 911 caller who stated a man was firing a gun and pointing the weapon at people.—
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Security forces confronted protesters in several cities and towns, firing tear gas.—
Verb
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The reigning world champion returned to competitive skating last season with a bang after retiring following the 2022 Beijing Olympics.—
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The school will hold a ceremony retiring her jersey at halftime of the boys’ basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.—
Verb
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The Minneapolis Federation of Educators said agents deployed tear gas and detained an educator before releasing them.—
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Camacho gamely snatched one from the water, showing me its extraordinary teeth before releasing it again.—
Cite this Entry
“Axing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/axing. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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