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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in slice
a piece that has been separated from the whole by cutting a bag full of grass cuttings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

6
7
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

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
Leslie took issue with a recent stunt Kennedy had pulled at the hospital, which involved making a surprise appearance for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open his signature vaccine injury clinic. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026 Stephanie Keith | Bloomberg | Getty Images American Express is cutting thousands of employees as the leading credit card company prepares for artificial intelligence to take over more of its internal processes. — Hugh Son, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 To avoid cutting workers, Torani cut back on other expenses instead, including marketing and advertising. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 The youth-skewing network is the highest-profile casualty of the BBC‘s massive cost-cutting operation. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026 One contains leather-cutting tools, another curved needles and bits of leather showing the different types of stitching that go into the bags. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 Everyone is mobilizing for better living conditions, and against cutting the budget for public service! — Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Led by an expert mountain safety team, the pair practiced coiling rope, cutting steps in ice walls, learning a Tyrolean traverse. — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026 With no official explanation from Hawkins or NBC, speculation turned to money and cost-cutting measures across the industry. — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting
Adjective
  • Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Someone slaps a strip of medical tape across their lips, promises you deeper sleep, fewer snores and a sharper jawline by morning, then cuts to a dreamy sunrise shot.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • And while Kim tends to gravitate toward body-conscious silhouettes and plenty of skin, Kris has made a signature of sharp tailoring, statement accessories, and an unapologetic dose of flash.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In his essay, Baron Cohen says that’s the point, because the character is a satirical figure designed to expose prejudice.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Riehle played Tom Smykowski, a cynical Initech product manager, in Mike Judge’s 1999 satirical comedy Office Space, sharing credits with Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root and Gary Cole.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Potato chips, olives, salami and cucumber slices also make her list of easy, go-to snacks.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Trim the crust from the brioche slices and cut them diagonally into 2 triangles.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Use the excess parchment paper to lift them out of the pan before slicing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The cutting board for slicing vegetables was near the handwashing sink.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • So Nvidia and some of its largest customers proposed a new design, skipping several conversions and distributing power inside the building not through typical AC but through DC, the native form the chips want anyway.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Other analysts estimate that the global console market remains capped at roughly 200 million users per generation, with Gen Z and Gen Alpha largely skipping dedicated home consoles for mobile, PC, and platforms like Roblox.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That would target true luxury by isolating the top 5% of the market, and would shield the vital professional class that keeps NYC’s economy, healthcare systems and businesses running.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Reduced access to such resources is especially dangerous with strains like Bundibugyo – in the absence of an effective vaccine, tracing the spread of disease and isolating potential disease contacts is especially important.
    — Ananya Rupanagunta, Vox, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Men in some communities stop shaving, while women may remove their jewelry.
    — Shushan Karapetian, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Like almost winning a race, almost shaving a second off my time for the 3200m run, my event in high school, the one that got me into college, a recruit for someone else to gamble on.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster