cutting-edge 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cutting-edgenext
as in advanced
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques his insistent tracking shots and rapid-fire pacing earned him a reputation as a cutting-edge filmmaker

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cutting edge

2 of 2

noun

1
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts an urban enclave that has an established reputation for being hospitable to artists who are part of the cutting edge

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forefront
the leading or most important part of a movement a company that has always been on the cutting edge of the new electronic media

Synonyms & Similar Words

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-edge
Adjective
For the last two years, New Frontier — our dynamic, cutting-edge program at the intersection of art, cinematic storytelling, and emerging technologies — has been on pause to evaluate the rapid changes in our media landscape. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 29 July 2026 The Maybach’s rear passenger space is also rich in cutting-edge tech. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 29 July 2026
Noun
Sharpen each cutting edge while maintaining the original bevel rather than creating a new angle. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 22 July 2026 During Fedorov's tenure as the defense minister, Ukraine saw a dramatic improvement of its position in the battlefield, including his push for innovative use of Ukraine's cutting edge drones in warfare. — Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cutting-edge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting-edge
  1. advanced
  2. vanguard
  3. forefront
  4. progressive
  5. underground
  6. leading edge
  7. pioneering
  8. pioneer
Adjective
  • Kyle Karros singled with one out in the fourth, advanced on a groundout and scored on a throwing error by second baseman Troy Johnston.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • First, every major investment in housing, transit, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and public infrastructure must also be a workforce strategy.
    — Emma Pfohman, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of advanced
Noun
  • The great technological leaps in American history have often featured influential industrialists who step forward as vanguards, leading the way to a better tomorrow while emerging as major players in extreme endeavors.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Columbia waded into the rock vanguard after Davis attended the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967 at the behest of its organizer Lou Adler, whose Ode Records was distributed by CBS.
    — Chris Morris, Variety, 22 June 2026
Definition of vanguard
Noun
  • So maybe at that time, dusting off a 25-year-old album with multiple labels involved wasn’t at the forefront of anyone at Disney’s minds.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
  • Worobey, an evolutionary biologist who worked on the Science and Cell papers and was at the forefront of the pandemic-origins research, spoke to NPR in 2022 about the data.
    — Rachel Carlson, NPR, 29 July 2026
Definition of forefront
Adjective
  • The argument’s been just as lopsided in Michigan, where progressive candidates were first out with plans to limit data centers.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 31 July 2026
  • Ideally, this new midfielder would be a progressive passer — something Everton also see in Hackney — who helps in possession, but can also distribute in a more direct manner at times.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of progressive
Noun
  • Head underground The Bee’s diversions reporter Camila Pedrosa recently ventured deep into the earth, twice, to explore Black Chasm Cavern in Amador County, as well as California Cavern in Calaveras County.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Her work has included uncovering human trafficking networks, revealing an ISIS underground torture prison in Syria, documenting the war in Ukraine and interviewing senior political figures and world leaders.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of underground
Noun
  • With moisture moving in from the Atlantic coast, national weather service Meteo France forecast light rain in the town of Lege-Cap Ferret, on a peninsula that's been a leading edge of the devastated region.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Kids appear to be the leading edge of this shift, not just incidental beneficiaries of it.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 July 2026
Definition of leading edge
Adjective
  • Raimi, the pioneering horror maestro behind Evil Dead as well as the original Spider-Man trilogy, is repped by CAA.
    — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
  • In 2020, after selling his previous company, Fifth Street, under a cloud of investor litigation and an SEC settlement, the veteran financier recast himself as a pioneering lender to underbanked cannabis firms.
    — John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of pioneering
Noun
  • The latest wave of this came this week, when Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in Safe Superintelligence, the lab founded by AI pioneer Ilya Sutskever.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
  • Reyneke Wines is one of the pioneers of organic wines and environmental and ethical wine making in the country.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of pioneer

Browse Nearby Words

cutting (down)
cutting-edge
cutting edge
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Cite this Entry

“Cutting-edge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting-edge. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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