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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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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6
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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
The back-to-back debates offered plenty of cutting moments as Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman and reality television star Spencer Pratt faced off against each other. Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026 Porter focused on cutting bureaucracy, calling for a single statewide development permit to streamline approvals and reduce delays. Noe Padilla, USA Today, 9 May 2026 Thumb knives are silicone sleeves that slip over your thumb and hold a small blade where your thumbnail is located, giving you more cutting power per pinch. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026 Things got dicey in the top of the ninth for right-hander Caleb Kilian when the Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz hit an RBI single, cutting the Giants’ lead to 5-2 and bringing the tying run to the plate, but Kilian managed to lock down the win. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 May 2026 The flowers are excellent for cutting for bouquets. Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026 Woodbury leaders, developers and Amazon employees celebrated the launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 4. Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026 Under her leadership, the AfD has proposed cutting taxes, reducing bureaucracy, and reviving Germany’s dormant nuclear energy sector. Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026 The 76ers got small cushions, with the Celtics cutting it to a point three additional times. Kyle Hightower, Chicago Tribune, 3 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
  • Part satirical, part political, the BAFTA-winning film and subsequent album, Fine Art — a level up from their 2018 Irish-language mixtape 3CAG — solidified Kneecap’s place in music, earning them fans worldwide who come out in droves to their gigs and turning them into a popular festival draw.
    Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 6 May 2026
  • The Boys is an American satirical dark comedy television show that flips the conventional superhero narrative on its head by imagining a society where superpowers are abused for influence and profit.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 May 2026
Noun
  • Crispy tostada shells get a swoosh of smoky chipotle mayo, plus fanned slices of juicy mango and creamy avocado.
    Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 May 2026
  • This sort of attention to dessert is otherwise increasingly rare; too many ambitious kitchens pour all their resources into their savory menus and then punt on the sweet courses, serving a scoop of gelato in a fancy coupe, or a slice of cake assembled off-site.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • His girlfriend in stirrups, her assistant slicing the fruit with a scalpel instead of a chef’s knife.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
  • Don't Crowd Determinate Tomatoes Most paste varieties, patio, and compact selections, and some slicing tomatoes are determinate.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • Travelers are skipping the standard spa weekend and booking entire trips around hot springs, cold plunges and steam circuits — what the industry now calls a water getaway.
    Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
  • On a recent podcast with Michelle Obama, Reese made her stance on skipping media sessions clear.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • The ship is now in the Atlantic off West Africa's island nation of Cape Verde, and the World Health Organization said passengers are isolating in their cabins.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 May 2026
  • Health officials said passengers and crew members still on the ship are without symptoms and isolating in their cabins.
    Annie Risemberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • Back in the day, scandals typically were point-shaving schemes that involved shadowy figures bribing athletes.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
  • Fairley also intends to plead guilty in a separate NCAA point-shaving case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania over allegedly recruiting players who would accept bribes to influence games, the documents showed.
    Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • Tom Coyne mowing the fairway at Sullivan County Golf Club.
    Lee Cowan, CBS News, 3 May 2026
  • Some people simply don’t like the look of grass that’s been left to grow wild — and as the University of Minnesota Extension and others have made clear, mowing on a regular schedule isn’t the environmental villain the loudest voices online have suggested.
    Ryan Brennan May 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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