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
Stephen BattaglioAlthough 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
Makeda EasterThe 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
Jan CottinghamExamples of cord-cutting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While cord-cutting continues to erode the national pay-TV base, local sports has managed to offset any losses in linear reach with a rapidly expanding streaming audience.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Ellison has also taken control of a collection of legacy cable assets — Comedy Central, MTV and VH1 among them — that have hemorrhaged viewers after years of cord-cutting and a wider shift from linear television to streaming.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2025
Born out of the ashes of a legal fight and built after cord-cutting already shaved down the Pay TV landscape, Disney and Fubo have closed a deal that will create a notable player in the live channel streaming business.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
In the second quarter of this year, Spectrum reported a loss of 80,000 cable customers due to cord-cutting, a significant decline from the same period in 2024, when 408,000 homes ditched cable.
—Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cord-cutting
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Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Ellison has also taken control of a collection of legacy cable assets — Comedy Central, MTV and VH1 among them — that have hemorrhaged viewers after years of cord-cutting and a wider shift from linear television to streaming.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2025
Born out of the ashes of a legal fight and built after cord-cutting already shaved down the Pay TV landscape, Disney and Fubo have closed a deal that will create a notable player in the live channel streaming business.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
In the second quarter of this year, Spectrum reported a loss of 80,000 cable customers due to cord-cutting, a significant decline from the same period in 2024, when 408,000 homes ditched cable.
—Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cord-cutting
Cite this Entry
“Cord-cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cord-cutting. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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