Synonyms of cutting

cutting 1 of 3

adjective

1

as in biting

causing intense discomfort to one's skin

a frigid day with a cutting wind that made it seem even colder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• biting
• sharp
• bitter
• penetrating
• piercing
• stinging
• brisk
• keen
• raw
• shrewd
• smarting
• caustic
• corrosive
• snappy
• invigorating
• prickly
• needlelike
• tingling
• nippy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mild
• gentle
• soothing
• balmy

2

as in sharpened

having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something

the cutting side of the sword blade

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sharpened
• sharp
• ground
• edged
• jagged
• honed
• trenchant
• edgy
• keen
• stropped
• piercing
• scratching
• stabbing
• whetted
• lacerating
• knifelike
• clawlike
• jabbing
• pointed
• spiky
• daggerlike
• pointy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blunt
• dull
• smooth
• rounded
• soft
• blunted
• flat
• obtuse
• dulled
• level
• even
• slick

3

as in satiric

marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings

her cutting comments serve only one purpose: to make someone cry

Synonyms & Similar Words

• satiric
• sarcastic
• barbed
• acid
• biting
• acidic
• caustic
• sharp
• corrosive
• scathing
• tart
• sardonic
• acrid
• mordant
• acerbic
• pungent
• cross
• scalding
• ironic
• blunt
• harsh
• acidulous
• cynical
• dry
• spiky
• snarky
• concise
• sour
• smart-aleck
• acerb
• severe
• brisk
• smart-alecky
• incisive
• smart-mouthed
• trenchant
• keen
• abrupt
• poignant
• stringent
• flippant
• tartish
• crisp
• wry
• curt
• rough
• facetious
• bitter
• acrimonious
• pithy
• resentful
• brusque
• gruff
• sourish
• vitriolic
• succinct
• sharp-tongued
• terse
• backhanded
• insincere
• tongue-in-cheek
• snippy
• snippety

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• amusing
• gentle
• merry
• mild
• playful
• smooth
• bland
• diplomatic
• droll
• sportive
• waggish
• polite
• cordial
• hospitable
• urbane
• gracious
• good-natured
• genial
• sociable
• good-humored
• affable
• suave

cutting

2 of 3

noun

ˈkə-tiŋ 

as in slice

a piece that has been separated from the whole by cutting

a bag full of grass cuttings

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slice
• cut
• portion
• length
• segment
• section
• chop
• part
• chunk
• clipping
• sliver
• shaving
• splinter
• paring
• cutlet
• hunk
• lump
• snippet

cutting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of cut

1

as in slicing

to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)

I cut my hand on a piece of broken glass

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slicing
• slitting
• slashing
• ripping
• splitting
• stabbing
• bruising
• piercing
• shearing
• sawing
• chopping
• incising
• gashing
• severing
• tearing
• cleaving
• carving
• crosscutting
• chipping
• dissecting
• scissoring
• mangling
• sectioning
• rending
• hacksawing
• riving
• lacerating
• butchering
• chiseling
• haggling
• notching
• hacking
• dicing
• mincing
• amputating
• cutting off
• anatomizing

2

as in skipping

to fail to attend

a warning that she had been cutting too many classes without valid excuses

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skipping
• missing
• ignoring
• blowing off
• playing hooky
• absenting oneself
• neglecting
• passing over

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attending
• showing up (for)

3

as in isolating

to deliberately ignore or treat rudely

the snobbish lady cut anyone who didn't meet her standards of wealth and social standing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• isolating
• rejecting
• snubbing
• repulsing
• stiffing
• repelling
• slighting
• neglecting
• forgetting
• stiff-arming
• high-hatting
• ostracizing
• cold-shouldering
• spurning
• overlooking
• disdaining
• disregarding
• scorning
• rebuffing
• brushing (aside or off)
• passing over
• shrugging off
• overpassing

4

as in shaving

to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument

when you cut the pad, make it a little smaller than the carpet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shaving
• trimming
• clipping
• mowing
• shearing
• paring
• pruning
• snipping
• cropping
• bobbing
• cutting back
• docking
• polling
• nipping
• lopping (off)
• whittling
• shortening
• curtailing
• skiving
• pinching
• manicuring
• stumping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extending
• lengthening
• elongating

5

as in mowing

to shorten the standing leafy plant cover of

you need to cut the lawn very soon—before it becomes a jungle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mowing
• shaving
• pruning
• trimming
• clipping
• curtailing
• paring
• cropping
• lopping
• cutting back
• hacking
• shearing
• docking
• snipping
• manicuring
• nipping
• bobbing

6

as in diluting

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances

the fruit juice was so cut with water that it was barely a fruit-flavored drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diluting
• loading
• thinning
• polluting
• manipulating
• infecting
• weakening
• poisoning
• extending
• adulterating
• spoiling
• dirtying
• contaminating
• tainting
• lacing
• degrading
• sophisticating
• watering down
• soiling
• tempering
• corrupting
• misrepresenting
• debasing
• fouling
• defiling
• spiking
• tampering (with)
• falsifying
• moderating
• cheapening
• sullying
• attenuating
• counterfeiting
• doctoring
• qualifying
• faking
• befouling
• fudging
• envenoming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthening
• enriching
• reinforcing
• fertilizing
• fortifying
• augmenting
• supplementing
• improving
• cleaning
• purifying
• purging
• refining
• filtering
• richening
• enhancing
• clarifying
• cleansing
• flushing
• larding
• leaching
• distilling
• pasteurizing
• decontaminating
• concentrating
• bettering
• condensing
• compacting

7

as in veering

to depart abruptly from a straight line or course

cut towards the goal, eluding a defender

Synonyms & Similar Words

• veering
• turning
• curving
• circling
• bowing
• breaking
• swerving
• wandering
• yawing
• sweeping
• bending
• weaving
• sheering
• arching
• twisting
• curling
• zagging
• zigging
• rounding
• skewing
• pivoting
• hooking
• winding
• looping
• spiraling
• arcing
• coiling
• zigzagging
• wheeling
• deviating
• slewing
• wavering
• straying
• crooking
• about-facing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightening

8

as in intersecting

to divide by passing through or across

a long mountain range virtually cuts that country in half

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intersecting
• crossing
• bisecting
• crisscrossing
• decussating

9

as in analyzing

to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships

whichever way you cut it, we won't be seeing any profits from the business for at least three years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• analyzing
• dissecting
• examining
• assessing
• diagnosing
• investigating
• dividing
• evaluating
• deconstructing
• assaying
• inspecting
• anatomizing
• scrutinizing
• reducing
• breaking down
• classifying
• sorting
• arranging
• separating
• tabulating
• subdividing
• categorizing
• indexing
• ordering
• cataloging
• codifying
• segmenting
• enumerating
• assorting
• schematizing
• diagramming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• integrating
• consolidating
• aggregating
• synthesizing
• amalgamating
• assimilating
• unifying
• coalescing
• agglomerating
• conglomerating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cutting

Verb

The plans were developed by the Department of Government Efficiency, a cost-cutting team initially overseen by billionaire Elon Musk, in response to a presidential order meant to rid the government of DEI programs. — Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

Following its 2015 merger, the company adopted an aggressive cost-cutting mandate that leadership reported hitting, quarter after quarter, ahead of schedule. — Amer Al Ahbabi, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Ralf Schützhold, a professor at theoretical physics at HZDR, therefore suggests making such a bandgap through other means, such as cutting and folding the graphene to create tiny edges. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026

Finland and Sweden joined NATO members Denmark, Iceland, and Norway in establishing the Nordic Defense Cooperation, primarily in hopes of cutting procurement costs. — Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026

Mental health experts say setting boundaries doesn’t necessarily mean skipping the holidays or cutting anyone off. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026

The proposal would increase the allowable amount from $50,000 to as much as $250,000 over the next two years, cutting billions of dollars in revenue from local governments' budgets. — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

Opponents say taxes are already too high and the state should focus on cutting waste. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

State officials could pay for tax cuts, in theory, by cutting government services, something governors and legislators historically try to avoid during a downturn. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing cutting

• cutting edge