hatchet job

American  

noun

1. a maliciously destructive critique or act.

   The special committee has done a hatchet job on the new proposal.

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hatchet job British  

noun

1. informal a malicious or devastating verbal or written attack

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hatchet job Idioms  

1. see hatchet man, def. 2.

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Etymology

Origin of hatchet job

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Which doesn’t mean “Crumb: A Cartoonist’s Life,” is a hatchet job.

From Los Angeles Times

“His role is to do a hatchet job,” Mr. McGovern said.

From Washington Times

Later, the scene is recut as a hatchet job on social media that leads to Tár’s downfall.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s below me to even dignify this hatchet job with a response.”

From New York Times

Though she was fully aware of the potential controversy of her charges, she never intended for her book to be the hatchet job that many reviewers believed it to be.

From New York Times