axis of evil

British  

noun

1. North Korea, Iraq, and Iran when considered together as a perceived threat to world stability

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Etymology

Origin of axis of evil

C21: coined by George W Bush, 43rd US President

Example Sentences

“A Working Man” molds the Levon character to Statham, making him a British soldier and tilting the book’s axis of evil away from “ ‘Merica good, everyone else bad.”

From Los Angeles Times

Only one woman conceded that if it meant South Korea becoming "an axis of evil" then it was probably not worth it.

From BBC

But unlike former President George W. Bush, who used his 2002 State of the Union address to declare an “axis of evil” on the eve of the Iraq war, Mr. Biden urged Americans to remain optimistic and hopeful as a way of inspiring supporters of democracy elsewhere.

From New York Times

Mr. Gerson tweaked it to “axis of evil” to make it sound more “theological” — a battle between good and evil — Frum wrote in his 2003 book on Bush, “The Right Man.”

From Washington Post

When another speechwriter, David Frum, came up with the phrase the “axis of hatred” for the president’s 2002 State of the Union address, Mr. Gerson tweaked it to the more memorable “axis of evil.”

From New York Times