variants also cut-and-dry
Definition of cut-and-driednext

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-and-dried The split in the castle is now cut-and-dried. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026 Unfortunately, their investigation isn’t cut-and-dry. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026 In Bonta’s eyes, placing a bet through a site such as DraftKings or FanDuel — or operating such a site — is a cut-and-dried crime, one punishable by fine or imprisonment. Susie Neilson, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026 Supplementing Wikipedia’s Encyclopedia Britannica-style format with a small component that contains AI summaries is not a simple problem with a cut-and-dry answer. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cut-and-dried
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut-and-dried
Adjective
  • Calls to the ships’ operators outside normal working hours either weren’t answered or weren’t immediately returned.
    Julian Lee, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Sanoja has primarily played third base this season, with seven of his nine starts coming there, but his last two starts came in center field on Thursday (to give normal starter Jakob Marsee his first day off from the field) and left field on Friday.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Here, in this new context, their large eyes did not seem wide with their usual wonder but swollen with grief and disbelief.
    Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The critical shipping route, responsible for moving a significant share of the world’s oil, has slowed to a fraction of its usual volume amid the war.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Trump implicitly understands that chutzpah is necessary to transcend ordinary constraints and achieve heroic, even mythic stature.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
  • In the end, the defeat of Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s autocratic prime minister, required not just an ordinary election campaign or new messaging but rather the construction of a broad, diverse, and patriotic grassroots social movement.
    Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Florida didn't want to pay any homage to Quick during the game, so as not to disrupt the goalie's typical routines.
    CBS News, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • The proliferation of letters in the New Testament is also typical of second-century literary activity; letters written as rhetorical models, using the epistolary form as an intimate vehicle for argument, are everywhere in the later period.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Although today’s audiences might be more desensitized to such gruesome scenes thanks to hyperrealistic special effects in modern horror movies, and the commonplace spread of graphic clips online, audiences of the ‘80s were reportedly traumatized and scandalized.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Standardized testing became commonplace in the latter half of the 20th century as a way to hold schools accountable for education outcomes and to create transparency for parents.
    Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Numbers began to skyrocket around the time of the Artemis II launch on April 1st, peaking at around 12,434 at time of writing— a huge jump against the game's standard average player count, which hovers around 3,000 to 4,000.
    Alan Bradley, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The payments cover a 20% additional tax burden triggered by the IRS when an executive collects more than three times their average total compensation.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • What first appeared to be a common job-interview phishing campaign ultimately revealed a hack so widespread and easy to replicate that investigators fear irreversible damage.
    Jessica Klein, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
  • For years, the sight of a dark streetlight was all too common in the city.
    Adam Duxter, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Democrats had already been clamoring for a separate public hearing focused strictly on the war, in addition to the routine session.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Now’s the time to refresh your skincare routine with a two-in-one lip gloss that nourishes skin while adding a subtle touch of color (unlike drying lipsticks).
    Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cut-and-dried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut-and-dried. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.

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