cut up

verb

cut up; cutting up; cuts up

transitive verb

1

a

: to cut into parts or pieces

b

: to injure or damage by or as if by cutting : gash, slash

2

: to subject to hostile criticism : censure

intransitive verb

1

: to undergo being cut up

2

: to behave in a comic, boisterous, or unruly manner : clown

Synonyms of cut up

• act up
• show off
• horse around
• fool around
• clown (around)
• revel
• monkey (around)

Examples of cut up in a Sentence

high-spirited cousins who cut up at every family gathering

Recent Examples on the Web

Such a potato is cut up into sections, each having a sprout or two. —David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 1 June 2026

Instead of dwelling in doubt, cut up paper and throw it around. —Literary Hub, 20 May 2026

Firefighting crews worked Monday to cool residual heat and prevent hot spots from causing reignition, using chainsaws to fell and cut up hazardous trees, inspecting each section for heat and using hoses to extinguish any remaining embers. —Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 20 May 2026

In response, staff proposed cutting up to five meetings per commission in the next fiscal year, along with other cost-saving measures such as freezing community ambassador stipends, to help close the city’s projected $66 million budget gap. —Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for cut up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

cutup

1 of 2 noun

cut·​up ˈkət-ˌəp 

: a person who clowns or acts noisily

cut up

2 of 2 verb

ˈkət-ˈəp

: to act like a clown