CUT-AND-DRY Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

cut-and-dried

adjective

ˌkət-ᵊn-ˈdrīd

variants also cut-and-dry

Definition of cut-and-dried

as in normal

being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events a cut-and-dried session of the convention just to get required business out of the way

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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 So, unless this team is planning on making a splash with a trade, extending Samoskevich should be pretty cut-and-dry — unless another team steps in and is willing to take a gamble with a pricey contract. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 16 June 2026 Why the three companies are being held liable A key aspect of the settlement was cut-and-dry. — Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 June 2026 There’s nothing more boring than a partnership that’s cut-and-dry, based on spend and expenses. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026 Otherwise, if some kind of friction is necessary to keep public space functioning, then the alternative to the cut-and-dried logic of the gate, the lock, the camera, or the case, is the human—which, in most places, means the police. — Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cut-and-dried

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut-and-dried

Adjective

There’s no telling how long these discounts will last, so be sure to find the one that fits your cleaning needs before prices return to normal.

— Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2026
The latest Santa Ana wind event moving through Southern California will peak Saturday, but higher-than-normal temperatures and elevated fire risk will remain through next week.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of normal

Adjective

Breakfast is à la carte, with all the usual suspects, including shakshuka and avocado toast, and silver pots filled with high-octane coffee.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
So, the high-scoring Lakers just had to play to their usual effort.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of usual

Adjective

When a family is one ordinary bill from the edge, its backup plan is sleeping in the car.

— Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
The Ohio State University In ordinary air, oxygen molecules settle onto the sensor surfaces and draw electrons away from the material, increasing its electrical resistance.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

The museum isn’t located in downtown Houston or anywhere near the stadiums, the museum district, or typical attractions people visit in the city.

— Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2026
The gravity on the surface can be several billion times Earth’s, and a typical neutron star’s magnetic field is billions of times stronger than Earth’s as well.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of typical

Adjective

Back then, the solar system was host to an infant star surrounded by a swirling disk of gas and dust in which collisions between bodies called planetesimals — the building blocks of planets — were commonplace.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Rotary phones let users enter numbers themselves, and, at least in American cities, the ability to make local calls by dialling had become commonplace by the nineteen-thirties.

— Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of commonplace

Adjective

In 2025, the average accident-only pet insurance premium was $112 for cats and $190 for dogs, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA).

— Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
West Aurora also saw improvement in its average math scores on the ACT, but saw a slight decline in ELA.

— Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of average

Adjective

Frye called for policies that increase transparency around gate utilization rate, establish meaningful utilization standards and expand the number of common-use gates.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2026
Pest control Many common rose pests — including rose slugs, thrips, chilli thrips, and spider mites — pupate in the soil or overwinter in fallen plant debris.

— Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of common

Adjective

If Menendez is declared the winner, his election will mark an end to the dramatic and routine telenovela-worthy disputes between Lago and Castro during commission meetings.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Sending out election observers has been a routine way of documenting any racial discrimination at the polls under past administrations since the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of routine

Browse Nearby Words

cut a deal

cut-and-dried

cut-and-paste

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Cite this Entry

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“Cut-and-dried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut-and-dried. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of cut-and-dried

adjective

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