variants or less commonly cut-and-dry
: being or done according to a plan, set procedure, or formula : routine
a cut-and-dried presentation

Examples of cut-and-dried in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That’s because of two aspects that are anything but cut-and-dried: copyright law and a new technology. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Using a cut-and-dry approach may single them out and shut them down. Mark Travers, Forbes, 9 Feb. 2024 Football is an immensely complicated sport, but this seems pretty cut-and-dry: The Niners need to run the ball more. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024 In Arizona, placing Mr. Trump on the ballot was a more cut-and-dry decision, said Adrian Fontes, the Democratic secretary of state. Jill Cowan, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2023 The facts of the matter were fairly cut-and-dried, the only issue being how the court would respond to them. Matt Farwell, Harper's Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 But the reality of the app’s influence on discussions around the war isn’t cut-and-dried. David Ingram, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023 Angela told Fox News Digital the issue isn't cut-and-dry. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 24 Oct. 2023 Whether Davis’ previous statements tied to his disclosure to feds are admissible in a Las Vegas courtroom might not be a cut-and-dry answer. Andrew Blankstein, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cut-and-dried.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cut-and-dried was in 1710

Dictionary Entries Near cut-and-dried

Cite this Entry

“Cut-and-dried.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cut-and-dried. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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