cord-cutting
noun
cord-cut·ting
ˈkȯrd-ˌkə-tiŋ 
variants
or less commonly cord cutting
: the act or process of canceling a subscription to cable television or to a landline telephone service
As cable news begins to feel the squeeze from cord-cutting, arch-rivals Fox News and CNN are stepping up efforts to adapt to the trend that poses a long-term threat to their businesses.—
Stephen Battaglio
Stephen BattaglioAlthough broadband rates don't appear to be rising substantially as a whole, there's a chance that cord cutting could someday lead providers to increase monthly Internet bills to mitigate the loss of cable customers, according to a MoffettNathanson report.—Makeda Easter
Makeda EasterThe majority of Americans … now rely solely on wireless telephones. That watershed cord-cutting moment was reached in the last half of 2016, according to the federal government.—Jan Cottingham
Jan CottinghamExamples of cord-cutting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The realm of pay-TV distribution, long prone to squabbles over carriage fees and deal terms that commonly result in blackouts, has become even more contentious in the current era of cord-cutting.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
By now everyone knows that the challenges that cord-cutting has wrought, with younger consumers largely opting not to pay for TV, and instead spending their dollars on streaming platforms.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Feb. 2025
While cord-cutting continues to accelerate, with 12% of bundled subs ditching their legacy pay-TV packages in the third quarter of 2024, the carriage fees generated by the shrinking cable business remain crucial to Fox’s balance sheet.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Charter and Comcast are the top two pay-TV operators in the U.S., but their footprints are steadily shrinking due to cord-cutting.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cord-cutting
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
By now everyone knows that the challenges that cord-cutting has wrought, with younger consumers largely opting not to pay for TV, and instead spending their dollars on streaming platforms.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Feb. 2025
While cord-cutting continues to accelerate, with 12% of bundled subs ditching their legacy pay-TV packages in the third quarter of 2024, the carriage fees generated by the shrinking cable business remain crucial to Fox’s balance sheet.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Charter and Comcast are the top two pay-TV operators in the U.S., but their footprints are steadily shrinking due to cord-cutting.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cord-cutting
Cite this Entry
“Cord-cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cord-cutting. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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