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
Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
The bass is a hard thing to really get cutting, but also representing the bottom.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
The editors were cutting together the scene when Cole finds the ghost of a dead girl named Kyra, played by Mischa Barton.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
Stocks got some help from a report on inflation that suggested the Federal Reserve may be able to continue cutting interest rates.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
With 90 minutes to go, Veejay is still hand-cutting and sewing Mimi’s chainmail gown, and Ethan is dealing with the corset seams ripping out of the back of his huge circle gown.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Athletes commonly experience groin strains when their adductors can’t handle the demands placed on them during sports that involve cutting, pivoting or making any sudden direction changes.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Its unmatched hardness makes tungsten carbide essential for drill bits, cutting tools, and mining machinery that endure heavy wear.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Corner-cutting climbers could be in real danger.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
Some are discontinuing various product lines, and others are cutting workers or closing altogether.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
The bass is a hard thing to really get cutting, but also representing the bottom.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
The editors were cutting together the scene when Cole finds the ghost of a dead girl named Kyra, played by Mischa Barton.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
Stocks got some help from a report on inflation that suggested the Federal Reserve may be able to continue cutting interest rates.
—Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
With 90 minutes to go, Veejay is still hand-cutting and sewing Mimi’s chainmail gown, and Ethan is dealing with the corset seams ripping out of the back of his huge circle gown.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Athletes commonly experience groin strains when their adductors can’t handle the demands placed on them during sports that involve cutting, pivoting or making any sudden direction changes.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Its unmatched hardness makes tungsten carbide essential for drill bits, cutting tools, and mining machinery that endure heavy wear.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Corner-cutting climbers could be in real danger.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 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
-
While a sandwich is a favorite way to eat leftover meatloaf, this version tells you how to make homemade patties sized just right for two slices of bread.—
Emma Ashe,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Tech giant Nvidia has dominated the space so far with its graphics processing unit (GPUs), while rival AMD has a smaller slice of the pie.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cross-contamination can cause pink stains (for example, cutting a beet or tomato before slicing cheese).—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Just keep slicing — er, reading — to discover how to watch Berserk in order.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Eggs can cost more than cereals, and this can lead to this population skipping meals or going hungry.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Coaches and/or GMs always talk, but because of the Jonathan Kuminga contract standoff, skipping was apparently the way to go.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Whether isolating public officials for harassment, doxing, intimidation, and ultimately attempted assassination, it is all carefully planned, executed and thought through.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The journey into the unknown can be both exciting and isolating.—
James Patterson,
Big Think,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thankfully, a shelter volunteer, Nikki Miller, took up Chase’s cause, giving him a bath, trimming his nails and shaving his fur to get him back to looking his best again.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
However, the thawing of Russia’s northern coastline has opened a lane for vessels, shaving almost three weeks off shipping times compared to the journey around the Cape of Good Hope.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Then comes fall, and a lot of people think they are done with the lawn for the season, except for mowing and raking leaves.—
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp,
IndyStar,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Avoid using nitrogen-heavy fertilizers, watering the grass more often than needed, or letting the grass get too tall since mowing longer grass means cutting more than ⅓ of the blade.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cleaver's Fifth District, which encompasses much of Kansas City, will be split across three different districts, diluting Democratic voting strength by incorporating Republican-leaning rural areas.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
On the other hand, an otherwise strong voting bloc can be marginalized by splintering its voters among several districts, thereby diluting its impact.—
Jan Goldsmith,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share