1
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
a frigid day with a cutting wind that made it seem even colder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
the cutting side of the sword blade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in satirical
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
her cutting comments serve only one purpose: to make someone cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in slicing
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
I cut my hand on a piece of broken glass
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in skipping
to fail to attend
a warning that she had been cutting too many classes without valid excuses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in isolating
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
the snobbish lady cut anyone who didn't meet her standards of wealth and social standing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
6
as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
the fruit juice was so cut with water that it was barely a fruit-flavored drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in veering
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
cut towards the goal, eluding a defender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in intersecting
to divide by passing through or across
a long mountain range virtually cuts that country in half
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in analyzing
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships
whichever way you cut it, we won't be seeing any profits from the business for at least three years
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 cutting
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025
Marinaccio is cutting it Marinaccio made his big-league debut with the Yankees in 2022 and between June and July of that did not allow a hit to 57 consecutive batters.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
The central and eastern part of the country will warm up for this weekend, with warmer temperatures likely for next week as well, cutting the fall-like feel for many.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2025
At City, he does not get involved in the football intricacies, instead focusing on cutting deals.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The Patriots still have an open spot on their 53-man roster after cutting cornerback DJ James.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
To get the season off to a festive start, the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, which Opera San Jose joined this year, hosted a ribbon-cutting Friday afternoon at the California Theatre.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
At the Kering dinner, Evangelista nodded to her former look without actually cutting her hair.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
However, talk of cutting NIH funding is not a new development.
—Zeynep Hasgül, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
Spend some time worrying about that thing that’s actually quite meaningless, getting mad at that person cutting me off in traffic?
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025
Marinaccio is cutting it Marinaccio made his big-league debut with the Yankees in 2022 and between June and July of that did not allow a hit to 57 consecutive batters.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
The central and eastern part of the country will warm up for this weekend, with warmer temperatures likely for next week as well, cutting the fall-like feel for many.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2025
At City, he does not get involved in the football intricacies, instead focusing on cutting deals.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
The Patriots still have an open spot on their 53-man roster after cutting cornerback DJ James.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
To get the season off to a festive start, the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, which Opera San Jose joined this year, hosted a ribbon-cutting Friday afternoon at the California Theatre.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
At the Kering dinner, Evangelista nodded to her former look without actually cutting her hair.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
However, talk of cutting NIH funding is not a new development.
—Zeynep Hasgül, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting
Adjective
-
The characters have this sharp, biting, British humor.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
There’s Bud the biting cat, played by a feline named Tonic and who deserves a three-picture deal.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Mineral explorers hoping to meet the growing demand for rare earths are vying for a slice of nearly $1 billion in Brazilian funding to help make their projects a reality in a country with the largest reserves after China.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Even more impressive is the rib sandwich, a wondrously messy concoction with a short, meaty slab served with bones and all between two slices of plain white bread, with plenty of sauce and slaw, too.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Through its technology, the Polish startup wants to enable robots to perform human-like tasks, from opening a heavy door to slicing fruits and vegetables.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Rather than efficiently dicing and slicing your produce, a dull knife actually requires more force, which can cause you or someone else in your household to get hurt.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Almost skipping back towards the drumkit, Townshend came racing back to the mic ahead of a bluesy late interlude on stage in the Windy City, the home of the electrified artform.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Consider skipping the drive-thru and, instead, grab the items to make on your own pumpkin spice cold foam.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But community doesn’t mean isolating with people who share only your same opinion.—
Laurie Brookins,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Navigating these physical challenges can often feel isolating.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Early on the morning of March 16th, Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, posted video footage of Salvadoran agents marching the Venezuelan men into prison and shaving their heads.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
One analyst suggested that shaving a percentage point off the state’s income tax could cut available revenues by roughly $5 billion.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even a person mowing their lawn on a windy day might send embers into the air.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Even though the weather is much more tolerable than in the hot summer months, once that fall feeling arrives, the end of mowing the grass for the year is in sight.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Medrano’s editorial eye—born from her archive of Players magazines—lingers on sensuality’s softness without diluting its danger.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Some of the erosion of credibility, young American Jews across the country tell me, stems from those who insist all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, diluting the term's power.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share