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 satiric
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
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
What else is going on AI is cutting hours of office work for workers.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
To receive a full refund, Kidisle is asking customers to destroy the product by unplugging it and cutting the power cord.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 12 June 2026
All this, experts tell us, not only precludes cutting rates but also may mean hiking them—perhaps several times—in the months ahead.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
There is also more cutting required of bloomed flowers to initiate another flush, and more cleaning up and cutting secondary branches in spring.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
With one out, Jerdy Lopez homered to left field, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026
On one, Wembanyama played up on Towns at the 3-point line, and Towns found a cutting Mikal Bridges for a lay-up.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 June 2026
In fact, a recent Resume Builder survey of 866 business leaders found that more than half of respondents plan on cutting employee compensation and move that spending towards AI.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Verb
The lead stretched to 12 before Brunson and the Knicks rallied again, cutting the lead down to five halfway through the quarter.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
What else is going on AI is cutting hours of office work for workers.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
To receive a full refund, Kidisle is asking customers to destroy the product by unplugging it and cutting the power cord.
—Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 12 June 2026
All this, experts tell us, not only precludes cutting rates but also may mean hiking them—perhaps several times—in the months ahead.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
There is also more cutting required of bloomed flowers to initiate another flush, and more cleaning up and cutting secondary branches in spring.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 6 June 2026
With one out, Jerdy Lopez homered to left field, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026
On one, Wembanyama played up on Towns at the 3-point line, and Towns found a cutting Mikal Bridges for a lay-up.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 June 2026
In fact, a recent Resume Builder survey of 866 business leaders found that more than half of respondents plan on cutting employee compensation and move that spending towards AI.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 6 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting
Adjective
-
So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
The rotations were sharp, hedges were hard and defensive possessions ended one-and-done.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
-
Perrotta’s novels have been lavishly praised for their uncanny ability to articulate dark, often uncomfortable emotional truths of American culture, using humor and sharp observational skills to explore profound shifts in how people communicate and coexist.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Moore was a Baptist evangelist, admired for his knowledge of the Scriptures and for his satirical edge from the pulpit.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
In Lebanon, a look-alike delivery driver posts satirical videos and pranks unsuspecting residents, showing the fear Adraee inspires.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
This is for dollar pizza slices and dollar MTA rides.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
-
The comedian was seen passing out pizza slices like flyers for a bringer show.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Designed for slicing everything from soft brie to firm cheddar, each piece has a purpose.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
-
As consumers looked for other low-cost substitutes, prices rose for other types of slicing tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Burns pitched the idea of skipping a law career to her now-husband.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
13 June 2026
-
Gallup And The Navajo Nation From Laguna, make the 90-mile trip west to Gallup skipping by the Pueblo of Acoma for now.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said isolating Crimea is a key military objective as Kyiv seeks to weaken Russia’s hold on the peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
Behind the scenes, Spatial Hearing AI listens to the 3D acoustic environment and maps the soundscape, isolating each source and distinguishing between multiple speakers, so that devices can respond adaptively, guided by the context of their surroundings.—
Scott Kramer,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The researchers estimated that those who got neither bright days nor dark nights were shaving five years off their lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
The criticism died down only after shaving off nanoseconds became widespread, making the strategy less profitable.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
