cutting 1 of 3

Definition of cuttingnext
1
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin a frigid day with a cutting wind that made it seem even colder

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3

cutting

2 of 3

noun

as in slice
a piece that has been separated from the whole by cutting a bag full of grass cuttings

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cutting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of cut
1
2
as in skipping
to fail to attend a warning that she had been cutting too many classes without valid excuses

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3
4
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument when you cut the pad, make it a little smaller than the carpet

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5
as in mowing
to shorten the standing leafy plant cover of you need to cut the lawn very soon—before it becomes a jungle

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8
as in intersecting
to divide by passing through or across a long mountain range virtually cuts that country in half

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9

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 cutting
Verb
That the Illini couldn’t complete their comeback attempt despite cutting it to four in the final minutes was dismaying. Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony a couple of hours before the game, gigantic scissors slicing a pink ribbon. Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026 Air Zealand, too, will start cutting flights in the next couple of months in order to save on fuel, The New York Times reported. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026 The White House budget proposes cutting funding for the federal agency created after the September 11, 2001 attacks by $52 million and would require small airports to enroll in a program in which TSA pays for private screeners. Reuters, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026 The quantum setup delivered its first big result here, cutting prediction errors by one to two orders of magnitude compared to earlier experimental quantum methods. Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026 Richie Laryea used assists from Sargent and José Cifuentes to score, cutting it to 2-1 in the 65th minute, and Miguel Navarro exited in the 74th after he was tagged with a second yellow card, again leaving Colorado short-handed. ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026 Try to avoid cutting them off leaving stubs. Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026 Virginia made one last push, cutting TCU’s lead to 65-55, but the Horned Frogs quickly delivered the knockout blow as Miles knocked down a 3 and Suarez hit sophomore center Clara Silva for a layup to end Virginia’s hopes of another upset. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting
Adjective
  • Much like the days getting longer and the air less biting, a sure harbinger that spring is coming is the 33rd annual West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Naperville.
    Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
  • As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.
    Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Among them is a memoir by Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, and a satirical book about Fauci by Robert Kennedy III.
    Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Dayle’s satirical novel follows a white flag-bearer pretending to be a Black soldier during the Civil War.
    Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The museum plan currently being evaluated by the port involves using a 1-acre, rectangular slice of the 1220 Pacific Highway site, next to the Marriott SpringHill Suites-Residence Inn, referred to as parcel three.
    Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
  • His proposal would hold flat a consistent source of revenue, Local Government Distributive Funds — a slice of state income taxes doled out to municipalities.
    Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The light forced its way in, slicing past the shades in hot white ribbons that burned across the kitchen.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The artist created these tabletop works by slicing disks of walnut into identically sized strips and reassembling the pieces to form undulating fans.
    Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Instead of skipping the item completely, the driver stopped at another store to pick up the Diet Coke.
    Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
  • And again, as with hair shedding, lifestyle changes — such as focusing on scalp hygiene and stress reduction, and skipping tight hairstyles — can make a big difference.
    Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Sam Di Scipio, vice president, corporate communications, giving and volunteerism at Macy’s, said the model demonstrates a larger effort to align social impact with everyday retail interactions, rather than isolating it as a separate initiative.
    Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Hopeful that speaking openly might make this disease a little less isolating for someone newly diagnosed, and for myself.
    Todd Weissman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • For three men in three different places, shaving their heads did not erase years of anxiety but changed the narrative.
    Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
  • That's because these plug-in or balcony solar panels start shaving off part of a homeowner's or renter's utility bill right away.
    Jeff Brady, NPR, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • His volunteering includes helping seniors by mowing their lawns, trimming their hedges and bringing them dinner on holidays.
    Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Although forests store far more carbon overall in wood and soil, lawns can still play a supporting role by storing carbon mostly belowground, as long as maintenance inputs like fertilizer, mowing fuel, and irrigation are kept in check.
    Dr. Avishesh Neupane, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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