1. Terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position
   "The company gave the axe to dozens of employees";
   - displace, fire, give notice, can [N. Amer, informal], dismiss, send away, sack, force out, give the sack [informal], terminate
    
2. Terminate a relationship abruptly
   - give the bounce [US, informal], give the gate [US, informal]

Derived forms: gives the axe, giving the axe, given the axe, gave the axe

Type of: break, break up, part, remove, separate, split, split up