axed
Cut from payroll
Axed is the past tense of axe.
To axe something is to cut it with an axe, but the word more often means to eliminate or cancel abruptly: The network axed the show after one season.
People get axed when they're fired: Half the department got axed in the layoffs.
The word suggests swift, decisive removal.
Termination without cause
- dismissalRemoval from position
- severanceTermination pay or disconnection
- redundancyNeedless duplication
- firedTerminated from employment
downsizing · unemployment · discharge · terminated · let go · pink slip · sacked · cutbacks
Professional tree cutter
- fellingDowning standing timber
- timberWood for construction
- logSectioned tree trunk
- firewoodCut logs for burning
stump · splitting · hew · cleave · hatchet · kindling · chop · woodcutter
Discarded as useless
- shelvedDeferred or stored away
- discontinuedNo longer available
- cutSeverance or reduction
- killedCaused to die
dropped · nixed · eliminated · abolished · terminated · ended · canned · pulled
Sharp and unexpected
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- swiftMoving with speed
- immediateHappening without delay
- without warningUnexpectedly, lacking prior notice
shock · surprise · precipitous · unforeseen · jarring · blindsided · out of nowhere · overnight
layoff
Termination without cause
- dismissalRemoval from position
- severanceTermination pay or disconnection
- redundancyNeedless duplication
fired · downsizing · unemployment · discharge · terminated · let go · pink slip · sacked · cutbacks · restructuring
lumberjack
Professional tree cutter
firewood · stump · splitting · hew · cleave · hatchet · kindling · chop · woodcutter · trunk
scrapped
Discarded as useless
- shelvedDeferred or stored away
- discontinuedNo longer available
- cutSeverance or reduction
killed · dropped · nixed · eliminated · abolished · terminated · ended · canned · pulled · shuttered
abrupt
Sharp and unexpected
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- swiftMoving with speed
- immediateHappening without delay
without warning · shock · surprise · precipitous · unforeseen · jarring · blindsided · out of nowhere · overnight · sudden
- oustedfired, sacked, canned, terminated, dismissed
- unemploymentunemployment, unemployed, jobless, joblessness, unemployment rate
- exclusionexclude, excluded, rule out, banned, bans
- discontinueddiscontinued, terminated, cancelled, ended, stopped
- eliminated contestantsloser, evictee, sent home, cut, fired
- outcastsoutcast, pariah, pariahs, outcasts, outlaws
- axe murdererOne who kills with a chopping tool
- battle axeHeavy bladed war weapon
- axe to grindHidden personal agenda
- an axe to grindSecret selfish agenda
- throwing axeBlade hurled at targets
- fire axeEmergency breaching tool