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
Or are the Red Sox better off cutting their losses, selling their pending free agents and looking ahead to 2027? Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026 For fiscal year 2026, the administration proposed cutting NOAA’s budget by roughly 25 percent and eliminating the agency's research arm, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the division that houses much of its climate work. Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026 Some gardeners control the infestation by cutting the plants back or even removing them. Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2026 Retail giants and small firms alike say refunds are crucial for cutting prices, paying debts and staying afloat, even as many complain that payments are arriving painfully slowly. Mae Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026 The surgery is minor and involves a surgeon cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm, the clinic adds. Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 29 May 2026 House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, insisted on cutting the current budget of more than $115 billion, while Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, preferred to keep funding essentially level. Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026 As a result, after the game, Rozier and his co-conspirators negotiated a discount on his bribe, cutting it from $100,000 to about $70,000, the superseding indictment said. Rebecca Boone, Fortune, 29 May 2026 This isn’t about cutting public safety. Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting
Adjective
  • Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
  • The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.
    Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Afroman experienced a cultural renaissance after unleashing that satirical wit following a 2022 raid on his Ohio farmhouse by local sheriff's deputies.
    Andrew Graham May 28, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2026
  • For Lili in her darkest hour to summon a little petty annoyance over the wrong milk substitute for her coffee is a satirical grace note in an episode conspicuously short on laughs.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 24 May 2026
Noun
  • Fanny owned a raclette electrique, which comes with a grill and individual pans so that each person can melt their slice of cheese.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
  • Aside from these new big punchers, the new space age is seeing a plethora of new companies seeking to cut themselves a slice of the market for lifting small payloads, often in multi-satellite deployments, into low Earth orbit.
    David Szondy May 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Some varieties of slicing cucumbers have very tender skins and bruise easily.
    Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 28 May 2026
  • Nothing arrived pre-chopped, so there was still some prep, but it was limited to quick tasks like slicing scallions, dicing a pepper, and chopping cashews.
    Erin Bunch, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • In terms of hair health, skipping regular trims might mean more breakage that even the best hair oils and serums won’t be able to fix.
    Audrey Noble, Vogue, 30 May 2026
  • The field is missing major star power this year, with Dallas-area favorites Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth among four major winners — combining for 13 titles — who are skipping the event.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • For transgender and nonbinary students, the problem can be even more isolating when products are unavailable in all-gender bathrooms.
    Gale Brewer, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
  • These nanoparticles act like tiny chemical magnets, specifically isolating lithium from the rest of the ocean minerals.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • The people who stand to gain the most from this record-setting refresh rate are high-level competitors with PCs that can push extremely high frame rates, for whom shaving down the smallest fractions of latency can make a real difference.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 May 2026
  • In practical terms, that is roughly a 1–2 percent reduction in total mission velocity change, which is the equivalent of shaving a few liters off every hundred liters in a long-distance road trip.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • Yard Work and Outdoor Help Summer is the perfect season for simple neighborhood jobs like helping water plants, pulling weeds, mowing lawns, and helping others with light outdoor chores.
    VaNessa Duplessie, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • On a major league baseball field, the mowing direction plays a big part in creating the intricate outfield designs and signature stripes in the lawn.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.

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