axes

[ak-seez] / ˈæk siz /

NOUN

large cutting tool

Synonyms

WEAK

adz chopper hatchet tomahawk

NOUN

point around which something revolves

Synonyms

STRONG

arbor axle hinge pivot pole shaft spindle stalk stem support

WEAK

turning point

VERB

cut with large blade

Synonyms

WEAK

chop cut cut down fell hew

Antonyms

WEAK

hire

VERB

dismiss from service

Synonyms

WEAK

boot bounce can cancel cut back discharge dispense with eliminate fire get rid of give a pink slip give the boot kick out lay off remove sack terminate throw out

Antonyms

WEAK

hire

VERB

dismiss

Synonyms

STRONG

can cleaver discharge fire hatchet poll sack tomahawk

Antonyms

STRONG

employ hire

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One location stood out due to the discovery of about 80 grooved stone axes, which were used to break down and process ore.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

Hand axes were held in the palm rather than attached to a wooden handle.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

He remembers using ice axes to climb in the winter when he was only 15.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

Up to several hundred trucks can be escorted at a time, but even with the military by their side, convoys are still frequently targeted, especially on two key southern axes.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

But we already saw in Chapter 10 that the north—south axes and ecological barriers within Africa and the Americas retarded the diffusion of crops and domestic animals.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond