meat ax

US: (mēt′aks′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

meat′ ax′, 

1. cleaver (def. 2).
2. Informal Terms a drastic or ruthless procedure or approach, esp. for reducing or trimming something, as expenditures:
   The committee used a meat ax on the recreation budget.
• 1825–35

meat-ax  (mēt′aks′), adj. [Informal.]

1. Informal Terms drastic or severe:
   meat-ax defense cuts.
2. Informal Terms favoring or advocating drastic reductions:
   a meat-ax approach to the budget.