deep cut

noun

plural deep cuts
1
music : a song that is considerably less popular and well-known than other songs on the same album or by the same artist
From there, the band careened through highlights and the occasional deep cut from its catalog …Mikael Wood
But the rocker saw an opportunity to turn casual fans on to his deep cuts—so each disc intersperses hits with lesser-known album tracks in non-chronological order.David Browne
2
: something (such as an obscure reference to a book or movie) that is recognizable to devotees but not usually to others
One of the fun things about being a Marvel fan is the franchise's ability to constantly surprise its audience with comic book deep cuts, surprising castings, and twists that no one sees coming.Alexis Nedd
deep-cut adjective
a deep-cut reference/joke

Examples of deep cut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The jerseys were being bought by people who weren’t just soccer nerds or fans looking for deep cuts. Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 The police report said that a woman at the residence, who was suffering a deep cut on her wrist and multiple cuts to her hand, alleged to police Thorpe entered the residence and got upset with the unclean condition in the home, the outlets reported. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Segura was transported from the scene with deep cuts to his hands and arms and burns to his back. Briauna Brown, CBS News, 25 June 2026 The set spans just 14 months — March 1979 to May 1980 — but Joy Division had a wide repertoire and never played the same set two nights in a row, paying no heed to what was on an album or single or the audience had ever heard before; many deep cuts were played regularly. Jem Aswad, Variety, 25 June 2026 In 2009, at the peak of the Great Recession, Oceanside was forced to lay off 100 employees and make deep cuts in all its departments except police and fire, Sanchez said. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2026 His signature line launched a slew of chart-topping singles, grimy deep cuts, and addictive bass lines on songs for the likes of Travis Scott, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, Key Glock, and Sexyy Red. Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 20 June 2026 Multiple legal experts tell NPR that, in response to last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states must now make deep cuts to a whole range of services previously funded by Medicaid. Cory Turner, NPR, 20 June 2026 That deep cut would further reduce refuges’ ability to sustain both fish and wildlife management and visitation. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deep cut was in 1993

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deep cut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20cut. Accessed 5 Jul. 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