Here are 30 phrasal verbs with **cut**, along with detailed explanations and examples: 1. **cut off** – **to stop the supply of something or to interrupt** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to sever or stop.” **Extended meaning:** “off” adds the sense of completely stopping or isolating something. • _The government cut off the electricity during the storm._ (The electricity supply was stopped.) • _She cut me off in the middle of my sentence._ (She interrupted me.) 2. **cut down** – **to reduce or decrease something** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to reduce or remove.” **Extended meaning:** “down” adds the sense of lowering or minimizing. • _You should cut down on sugar if you want to lose weight._ (The speaker advises reducing sugar intake.) • _They cut down the trees to make space for a new building._ (They removed the trees by cutting them.) 3. **cut back** – **to reduce something, especially expenses** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to reduce.” **Extended meaning:** “back” adds the sense of cutting from an original amount. • _The company is cutting back on unnecessary expenses._ (They are reducing costs.) • _We need to cut back on eating out to save money._ (They need to eat out less.) 4. **cut out** – **to remove or eliminate something** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to remove.” **Extended meaning:** “out” adds the sense of completely eliminating something. • _You should cut out junk food from your diet._ (The speaker suggests eliminating junk food.) • _The engine suddenly cut out while we were driving._ (The engine stopped working.) 5. **cut through** – **to go directly through something to save time or effort** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to pass through.” **Extended meaning:** “through” adds the sense of taking a more direct route. • _Let’s cut through the park to get there faster._ (They are taking a shortcut through the park.) • _He always knows how to cut through the confusion and get to the point._ (He simplifies complicated situations.) 6. **cut in** – **to interrupt or join a conversation or activity suddenly** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to break into something.” **Extended meaning:** “in” adds the sense of entering suddenly or without invitation. • _She cut in while we were talking to ask a question._ (She interrupted the conversation.) • _The car cut in front of me on the highway._ (The car moved into my lane suddenly.) 7. **cut up** – **to divide something into smaller pieces** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to sever.” **Extended meaning:** “up” adds the sense of dividing into smaller parts. • _She cut up the vegetables for the salad._ (She chopped the vegetables.) • _The paper was cut up into tiny pieces._ (The paper was shredded.) 8. **cut across** – **to take a shortcut or to affect different groups equally** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to pass through.” **Extended meaning:** “across” adds the sense of crossing over something. • _We can cut across the field to save time._ (They take a shortcut through the field.) • _The new policy cuts across all departments._ (The policy affects all departments equally.) 9. **cut loose** – **to free oneself from restrictions or let go of control** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to sever or free.” **Extended meaning:** “loose” adds the sense of releasing or freeing oneself. • _After working so hard, it’s time to cut loose and have some fun._ (The speaker suggests relaxing and having fun.) • _He cut loose from the company and started his own business._ (He freed himself from his job.) 10. **cut down on** – **to reduce the amount of something** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to reduce.” **Extended meaning:** “down on” adds the sense of decreasing a particular activity or habit. • _She’s trying to cut down on caffeine._ (She is reducing her intake of caffeine.) • _They’ve cut down on production due to low demand._ (They have reduced production levels.) 11. **cut through the noise** – **to stand out in a busy or crowded environment** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to penetrate or break through.” **Extended meaning:** “through the noise” adds the sense of making something noticeable amidst distractions. • _The advertisement really cut through the noise with its unique message._ (The ad stood out.) • _Her voice cut through the noise of the crowd._ (Her voice was clearly heard above the crowd.) 12. **cut off from** – **to isolate someone or something from others** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to sever or stop.” **Extended meaning:** “off from” adds the sense of isolating or disconnecting. • _The village was cut off from the rest of the world by the storm._ (The village was isolated.) • _He was cut off from his family for years due to the war._ (He was separated from his family.) 13. **cut out for** – **to be suited for a particular role or task** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to shape or tailor.” **Extended meaning:** “out for” adds the sense of being designed or suited for something. • _I don’t think I’m cut out for a desk job._ (The speaker feels they are not suited for office work.) • _She’s really cut out for teaching; she has so much patience._ (She is well-suited for teaching.) 14. **cut short** – **to end something earlier than expected** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to stop or interrupt.” **Extended meaning:** “short” adds the sense of finishing something prematurely. • _Their vacation was cut short due to a family emergency._ (The vacation ended earlier than planned.) • _The meeting was cut short because the manager had to leave._ (The meeting ended earlier than expected.) 15. **cut down to size** – **to humble or reduce someone’s inflated ego or status** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to reduce.” **Extended meaning:** “down to size” adds the sense of bringing someone back to reality. • _He needed to be cut down to size after his arrogant behavior._ (He needed to be humbled.) • _The team was cut down to size after their unexpected loss._ (The team was brought back to reality.) 16. **cut ties** – **to end a relationship or connection with someone** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to sever.” **Extended meaning:** “ties” adds the sense of ending a relationship or link. • _He decided to cut ties with his former business partner._ (He ended the business relationship.) • _It was hard for her to cut ties with her old friends when she moved away._ (She ended her connections with her friends.) 17. **cut in line** – **to move ahead of others who are waiting, without permission** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to insert or interrupt.” **Extended meaning:** “in line” adds the sense of breaking into an orderly queue. • _She got angry when someone cut in line at the grocery store._ (Someone moved ahead of others in the line.) • _Don’t cut in line; wait your turn like everyone else._ (The speaker is advising against breaking the line.) 18. **cut corners** – **to do something in a way that saves time or money but is less thorough or proper** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to shorten or reduce effort.” **Extended meaning:** “corners” adds the sense of reducing quality or completeness. • _They cut corners to save money on the project, and it showed in the final product._ (They reduced quality to save money.) • _Don’t cut corners when it comes to safety._ (The speaker advises against compromising safety for speed or savings.) 19. **cut a deal** – **to reach an agreement or make a compromise** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to create or finalize.” **Extended meaning:** “a deal” adds the sense of making an agreement. • _They cut a deal with the supplier to get a lower price._ (They reached an agreement with the supplier.) • _The two companies cut a deal to collaborate on a new project._ (They reached a business agreement.) 20. **cut back on** – **to reduce the amount of something, usually spending or consumption** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to reduce.” **Extended meaning:** “back on” adds the sense of cutting from a specific area or activity. • _We need to cut back on unnecessary expenses._ (They need to reduce spending.) • _I’m cutting back on sugar to improve my health._ (The speaker is reducing sugar intake.) 21. **cut through the red tape** – **to deal with excessive bureaucratic procedures** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to overcome or bypass.” **Extended meaning:** “red tape” refers to unnecessary or excessive formalities. • *We need to cut through the red tape to get this project approved.* (They need to overcome bureaucratic obstacles.) • _He managed to cut through the red tape and get the necessary permits._ (He bypassed the formal procedures.) 22. **cut into** – **to reduce or interfere with something, often time or resources** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to reduce or limit.” **Extended meaning:** “into” adds the sense of taking away from something. • _The unexpected delays cut into our project time._ (The delays reduced the available time for the project.) • _Her personal life started to cut into her work hours._ (Her personal matters began interfering with work.) 23. **cut off at the pass** – **to prevent something from happening by anticipating it** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to intercept.” **Extended meaning:** “at the pass” adds the sense of preventing something before it occurs. • _They cut off the competition at the pass by releasing their product first._ (They anticipated and prevented the competition’s advantage.) • _We need to cut this issue off at the pass before it gets worse._ (They need to prevent the problem from escalating.) 24. **cut the mustard** – **to meet expectations or standards** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to fulfill or meet.” **Extended meaning:** “the mustard” refers to expectations or required standards. • _He didn’t cut the mustard, so he didn’t get the promotion._ (He didn’t meet the required standards.) • _Her performance really cut the mustard and impressed the judges._ (Her performance met or exceeded expectations.) 25. **cut in half** – **to divide something into two equal parts** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to divide.” **Extended meaning:** “in half” adds the sense of making two equal parts. • _He cut the sandwich in half and shared it with his friend._ (He divided the sandwich into two parts.) • _They cut the budget in half to reduce expenses._ (They reduced the budget by 50%.) 26. **cut back to** – **to reduce something to a lower level or amount** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to reduce.” **Extended meaning:** “back to” adds the sense of returning to a lower or previous level. • _We’ve cut back to working three days a week._ (They reduced their work schedule.) • _They had to cut back to basic services due to budget constraints._ (They reduced their services to the essentials.) 27. **cut across party lines** – **to appeal to or affect people from different political groups** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to span or bridge.” **Extended meaning:** “across party lines” adds the sense of crossing political boundaries. • _The new law cuts across party lines and has support from both sides._ (The law appeals to both political groups.) • _Her ideas cut across party lines and won bipartisan support._ (Her ideas gained support from multiple political groups.) 28. **cut no ice** – **to have no effect or influence** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to make an impact.” **Extended meaning:** “no ice” adds the sense of having no influence or importance. • _His excuses didn’t cut any ice with the boss._ (His excuses had no effect.) • _Her argument cut no ice with the judges._ (Her argument did not persuade the judges.) 29. **cut to the chase** – **to skip unnecessary details and get to the main point** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to shorten or omit.” **Extended meaning:** “to the chase” adds the sense of getting straight to the important part. • _Let’s cut to the chase and talk about the main issue._ (The speaker wants to skip the small talk and address the main point.) • _He cut to the chase and asked for a raise directly._ (He quickly got to the main point of his conversation.) 30. **cut one’s losses** – **to stop doing something to avoid further losses or harm** **Base meaning:** “cut” means “to sever or stop.” **Extended meaning:** “losses” adds the sense of ending something to prevent further negative outcomes. • _They decided to cut their losses and close the failing business._ (They stopped the business to avoid further financial losses.) • _It’s time to cut your losses and move on from that unprofitable project._ (The speaker advises stopping the project to avoid further harm.) These 30 phrasal verbs with **cut** cover a wide range of meanings, from physically cutting things to figurative uses such as ending relationships or avoiding further harm. The explanations and examples will help you understand how to use these phrasal verbs in different contexts.