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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The group is organized into committees, and their work has intensified quickly in response to shifting federal health priorities and deep cuts to health agencies, according to a person familiar with the group who was not authorized to share the details of their plans. Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025 The group snuck in the Nimrod deep cut into the set list, playing it for the first time since a show in Boise, Idaho in 1997. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025 Spotify has handy playlists like Discover Weekly, a weekly mixtape of new music and deep cuts catered to your listening preferences. PC Magazine, 2 Sep. 2025 But some warn that even deep cuts can’t always turn an airline around. Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025 Moreover, the Administration's misleading claims shouldn't distract from how the law's deep cuts to health care and food assistance will leave millions of seniors with low incomes worse off. Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 The White House has also proposed deep cuts to rental assistance for low-income families at a time when housing costs have soared for many Americans. Brian Mann, NPR, 13 Aug. 2025 Looking to save $2 billion and having handed out more than $9 billion to UFC and the South Park guys in the last two weeks, everybody knows that David Ellison’s Paramount is going to have to make some deep cuts. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025 Even deep cuts have resurfaced with new relevance. Mike Wass, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deep cut was in 1993

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Cite this Entry

“Deep cut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20cut. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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