meat ax

See synonyms for meat ax on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Informal. a drastic or ruthless procedure or approach, especially for reducing or trimming something, as expenditures: The committee used a meat ax on the recreation budget.

Origin of meat ax

1
First recorded in 1825–35

Words Nearby meat ax

Other definitions for meat-ax (2 of 2)

meat-ax
[ meet-aks ]

adjectiveInformal.
  1. drastic or severe: meat-ax defense cuts.

  2. favoring or advocating drastic reductions: a meat-ax approach to the budget.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use meat ax in a sentence

  • I wish she would—if you're going to look like a meat-ax, Shad Wells.

    The Vagrant Duke | George Gibbs
  • Have the butcher cut the round steak one-half inch thick and then pound it with a meat ax to break the tough tissues.

    Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book | Mary A. Wilson