cut the mustard

phrase

Definition of cut the mustardnext
as in succeed
to reach a desired level of accomplishment a college footballer who couldn't cut the mustard in the professional leagues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cut the mustard Between Kiffin, the coaching staff, and the roster, this is easily a $150 million operation, and 8-4 and a trip to the Duke's Mayo Bowl isn't going to cut the mustard. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut the mustard
  1. cut it
  2. make it
  3. get ahead
  4. get somewhere
  5. hack it
  6. get there
  7. make the grade
  8. make good
Phrase
  • That effort is far more likely to raise overall government spending than cut it.
    — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • But representation alone won’t cut it, said Julián Castro, chief executive of the Latino Community Foundation.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of cut it
Phrase
  • Research suggests that wildlife crossings with fencing can cut large-animal collisions by more than 80%, making it among the most effective ways to improve driver safety and wildlife connectivity, according to the Pew Research Center.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Ousmane Dieng made a 3-pointer before Kolek scored again to ignite another 10-0 run, and Brunson and Anunoby ended the half with consecutive 3-pointers to make it 58-34.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of make it
Phrase
  • Fire marshals have not determined the Sunset Park cause, and no one should get ahead of them.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Reid concluded his opening statement following the Chiefs’ 35-12 win over the New York Jets by getting ahead of the inevitable questions about kicker Harrison Butker’s status.
    — Pete Sweeney November 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of get ahead
Phrase
  • After spending 26 years trying to get somewhere, this copy won’t be going back in the mail.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Some are predicting that Colorado defenseman Cale Makar will get somewhere in the $18 million to $20 million range before the start of September’s training camps.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 July 2026
Definition of get somewhere
Phrase
  • Trump officials asked a cybersecurity agency to secretly acquire a voting machine — and hack it.
    — ProPublica, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • In our high-cost, high-housing-cost economy, industries that hire a preponderance of high-income workers are going to be able to hack it.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hack it
Phrase
  • Continuing onto Mill Hill Road, Silvia is a standout for a dinner or date night; its mushroom pasta and chicken schnitzel often sell out, so get there early and book a reservation ahead of time.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
  • But when the caretaker got there, there was no Koah or Comer.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of get there
Phrase
  • At National Mortgage Center, another DSCR lender, even buyers of short-term rentals can often be approved, and sometimes multifamily projects of more than five units make the grade.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Other names that made the grade in 2027 include Alphabet, Apple , Coca-Cola, Dynatrace , Eli Lilly , Equinix and Williams Companies .
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of make the grade
Phrase
  • Gleb is a successful businessman, a Russian muzhik made good—wealthy, sturdy, practical—who owns a logistics company in a midsize, provincial city.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Cecil oversaw the opening of The Inn in 2001, making good, more than a century later, on his great-grandfather’s original vision for a hotel component to his country estate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of make good

Browse Nearby Words

cutters
cut the mustard
cutthroat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cut the mustard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20the%20mustard. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All