cord-cutting

noun

cord-cut·​ting ˈkȯrd-ˌkə-tiŋ 

variants or less commonly cord cutting

: the act or process of canceling a subscription to cable television or to a landline telephone service

As cable news begins to feel the squeeze from cord-cutting, arch-rivals Fox News and CNN are stepping up efforts to adapt to the trend that poses a long-term threat to their businesses.

—Stephen Battaglio

Although broadband rates don't appear to be rising substantially as a whole, there's a chance that cord cutting could someday lead providers to increase monthly Internet bills to mitigate the loss of cable customers, according to a MoffettNathanson report.

—Makeda Easter

The majority of Americans … now rely solely on wireless telephones. That watershed cord-cutting moment was reached in the last half of 2016, according to the federal government.

—Jan Cottingham

Examples of cord-cutting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In streaming, reality has gained more traction of late as cord-cutting continues and viewer habit evolves. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2025

For all the wrangling that gets done during these distribution clashes, Disney and its peers face a full-time job in trying to offset the ravages of cord-cutting with streaming additions. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 Nov. 2025

Sports, which is anchored by ESPN, saw its revenue rise by 2 percent to $4 billion, and operating income fall by 2 percent to $911 million, as cord-cutting continues to wreak havoc. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025

There’s basically no cord-cutting allowed with the Licence Fee. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cord-cutting

• abutting
• crosscutting
• rebutting
• butting
• cutting
• gutting
• jutting
• meting
• putting
• rutting
• shutting
• smiting