deep cut

noun

plural deep cuts

1

music : a song that is considerably less popular and well-known than other songs on the same album or by the same artist

From there, the band careened through highlights and the occasional deep cut from its catalog …

—Mikael Wood

But the rocker saw an opportunity to turn casual fans on to his deep cuts—so each disc intersperses hits with lesser-known album tracks in non-chronological order.

—David Browne

2

: something (such as an obscure reference to a book or movie) that is recognizable to devotees but not usually to others

One of the fun things about being a Marvel fan is the franchise's ability to constantly surprise its audience with comic book deep cuts, surprising castings, and twists that no one sees coming.

—Alexis Nedd

deep-cut adjective

a deep-cut reference/joke

Examples of deep cut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ripe with archival deep cuts, creative director Gherardo Felloni mined styles from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1980s for this lineup of covetable new designs that had even the most jaded of stylists, editors, and celebrities oohing and aahing. —Vogue, 6 Mar. 2026

Apple’s deep cut for the week is the announcement of its two 5K display monitors, the 27-inch Studio Display and Studio Display XDR. —Shawn Chen, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

In other climate news As Western states brace for deep cuts to their allotments of Colorado River water, one California water agency may be in a position to help. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Apple’s deep cut for the week is the announcement of its two 5K display monitors, the 27-inch Studio Display and Studio Display XDR. —Shawn Chen, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

Apple's deep cut for the week is the announcement of its two 5K display monitors, the 27-inch Studio Display and Studio Display XDR. —ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026

That is a deep cut, even for the tech industry, which bulked up during the pandemic and has been shedding thousands of jobs in recent months. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026

After launching in Europe, the Peel It Back Tour hit the States in early August, treating fans in Oakland, California, to a mix of hits and deep cuts that continue to define their legacy as a seminal force in industrial rock. —Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 2 Mar. 2026

In a post on X, Jack Dorsey said his payments company chose a single round of deep cuts instead of layoffs spread over months and years to protect morale and customer trust. —Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for deep cut

• abut
• catgut
• chesnut
• chestnut
• donut
• doughnut
• groundnut
• haircut
• hindgut
• midgut
• precut
• rebut