12 English Phrasal Verbs With 'CUT'

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12 phrasal verbs with 'CUT'

Cut across

1. Go across a place rather than around it to make the journey quicker
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: It'll be quicker if we CUT ACROSS the park.
2. Affect people of different groups, classes, etc
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: The issue CUTS ACROSS social backgrounds as it affects us all equally.

Cut back

1. Reduce
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: The firm CUT BACK production because sales were sluggish.
2. Remove branches from a plant or tree to encourage future growth
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: We CUT the tree BACK every winter.

Cut back on

1. Reduce expenditure
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: The government has decided to CUT BACK ON spending on the armed forces.

Cut down

1. Consume less
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: I'm trying to CUT DOWN the amount of coffee I drink during the day.
2. Shoot
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: A lot of soldiers were CUT DOWN by enemy fire as they stormed the airport.
3. Reduce a vertical thing to ground level by cutting
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: BobK)
   
   » Example: The logger CUT the tree DOWN.
4. Cut something from a high position
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: After Christmas he didn't carefully detach all the decorations, he just CUT them all DOWN.

Cut down on

1. Reduce
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: Doctors advised her to CUT DOWN ON the amount of saturated fats in her diet.

Cut in

1. Start functioning
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: The fans CUT IN when the engine starts getting too hot.
2. Drive in front of another vehicle without warning
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: A car CUT IN and nearly caused an accident.
3. Interrupt
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: We were having a conversation when he came up and CUT IN.
4. Include someone in a deal that makes money
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: We had to CUT the police IN on the deal to avoid trouble.
5. Mix fat and flour until the combine
   (Separable [optional] | American English)
   
   » Example: CUT the butter IN with the flour.

Cut it out

1. Stop your unfair or unreasonable behaviour
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: Will you two idiots CUT IT OUT and keep quiet.

Cut off

1. Disconnect
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: The telephone's been CUT OFF because we didn't pay the bill.
2. Isolate or make inaccessible
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: The heavy snow has blocked many roads and CUT OFF a number of villages.

Cut out

1. Exclude
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: I'm CUTTING OUT salt from my diet.
2. When an engine or motor stops
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: The car CUT OUT at the traffic lights just as they went green.
3. Cut a picture or similar from a magazine, etc
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: I CUT some pictures OUT to use as visual aids.
4. Leave quickly
   (Intransitive | American English)
   
   » Example: We’d better CUT OUT, the security men are on the way.
5. Separate livestock from a group
   (Separable [optional] | American English)
   
   » Example: They CUT OUT three prime bulls from the herd.

Cut out on

1. Let down, snub
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: Although he'd promised to help, the star CUT OUT ON the charity when offered more money.

Cut through

1. Deal quickly with a complex issue that is causing trouble
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: She CUT THROUGH the bureaucracy that was holding us up and got the deal done.
2. Go through a place instead of going around it
   (Inseparable | International English)
   
   » Example: We CUT THROUGH the park even though it was closed.
3. Fail to get attention in the media
   (Intransitive | International English)
   
   » Example: If a news story does NOT CUT THROUGH, it fails to attract much attention because there are stories attracting more attention, regardless of the merits of the story.

Cut up

1. Cut into smaller pieces
   (Separable [optional] | International English | Contributed By: BobK)
   
   » Example: After cutting the tree down, the logger CUT it UP into logs.
2. Drive into a neighbouring lane, directly in front of another vehicle
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: I was just driving onto the motorway slip-road, when a red Mini CUT me UP and I had to brake suddenly to avoid an accident.
3. Upset
   (Separable [obligatory] | International English)
   
   » Example: Her reaction really CUT me UP.
4. Have a lot of small injuries
   (Separable [optional] | International English)
   
   » Example: I CUT my hand UP when I broke the glass.

Take our Exercise on 'CUT'