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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  • Mayfield got sacked on third down and McLaughlin's 38-yarder cut it to 17-13.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Mayfield got sacked on third down and McLaughlin’s 38-yarder cut it to 17-13.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of cut it
Phrase
  • That’s lowered expectations to just a handful, or none, of these startups making it to public markets, the sources said.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • So Rocky did, telling her about the pheasant hunt, the finding of the roadside gun, Helen’s plan to smash it with an axe, and Nick’s competing plan to make it into an artwork by melting solder on it.
    — Tom Drury, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of make it
Phrase
  • But until then, Kyiv needs to get ahead of Moscow and stop its ability to wreak aerial havoc.
    — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
  • After revealing its personal agent app Muse earlier this month, the Facebook parent this week unveiled its Muse Charm device in an apparent bid to get ahead of OpenAI and Google.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Sep. 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
  • Now Perella Weinberg, founded by M&A royalty Joe Perella and Peter Weinberg, is in talks to sell to Piper Sandler, which was itself formed by the 2019 merger of two boutiques that couldn’t hack it alone.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • James and Odie, both injured, have to hack it out and hike through some seriously treacherous terrain.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of hack it
Phrase
  • Moreover, the contrast between Paulina and Eloise shows who Paulina might become and the cost of getting there.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
  • To get there, Washington must encourage a free-market, international defense ecosystem defined by open architecture and industrial, software, and hardware compatibility.
    — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 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
  • We are elected to do a job, and that’s to make good decisions for the American people.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • For a morning caffeine fix, Hatchet West and Bohemia Coffee House are solid downtown options that make good starting points for a day of exploring.
    — Kristy Tolley, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of make good
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.

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 5 Oct. 2026.

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