chopping block

noun

1
: a wooden block on which material (such as meat, wood, or vegetables) is cut, split, or diced
2
: a situation in which someone or something is threatened with elimination
government programs on the chopping block

Examples of chopping block in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bajaria was widely thought to be safe from the chopping block as Sarandos and Peters cut 1,000 jobs last week, including top-tier execs like VP Film Doug Belgrad. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026 There were certainly enough of us who’d had a turn on the chopping block. — Kris Kealoha Giron, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026 In a post on X from New York Times reporter Hamed Aleaziz, the ICE processing facility planned for Oakwood, Georgia is also on the chopping block, but this has yet to be confirmed by city officials as of Thursday night. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 18 June 2026 Federal food benefits for mothers and infants are on the budget chopping block. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for chopping block

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chopping block was in 1600

Rhymes for chopping block

See All Rhymes for chopping block

Browse Nearby Words

choppiness
chopping block
chopping board
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chopping block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chopping%20block. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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