Synonyms for

Axe

Verb / æks / Another word for axe — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

A tool with a heavy metal blade and a long handle, used for chopping wood or other materials.

Synonyms & similar words

ax hatchet chopper adze cleaver tomahawk maul mattock pickaxe sledgehammer hammer crowbar wedge gavel mallet pounder crusher break smash split hew

Synonyms by register

Formal

terminate discontinue abolish eliminate

Informal

cut dump sack fire can

Literary

cleave hew

Antonyms

build create support aid assist encourage promote

Common collocations

  • axe murderer
  • axe to grind
  • axe handle
  • axe head
  • swing an axe
  • chop with an axe
  • axe for chopping

Word family

noun axe
verb axe

Usage note

The verb 'axe' often implies a drastic or sudden reduction or elimination, particularly in informal contexts like cutting jobs or funding. It can also refer to the act of chopping with an axe.

Example sentences

  1. He used an axe to chop firewood for the winter.
  2. The lumberjack swung his axe and cut down the tree.
  3. The old axe was rusty and dull.
  4. I need to buy a new axe for my camping trip.
  5. The axe was too heavy for the little boy to lift.

Quotes

  • I can't imagine a day without sunshine, a night without moonlight, and an axe without meaning. - Vincent van Gogh
  • Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. - Abraham Lincoln
  • The axe forgets but the tree remembers. - African Proverb

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