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.
Those companies — Tesla, the satellite company SpaceX, the social media platform X and the brain tech startup Neuralink — have faced growing criticism as Musk oversaw deep cuts to the federal workforce. Steve Kopack, NBC news, 5 June 2025 In light of deep cuts to federal and state programs, as well as rising utility and food costs, the Black church will be called upon to fill the gap in services. Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025 The agency faces a lethal 57 percent reduction to its $9-billion budget, with deep cuts to every program except those in President Trump’s priority areas, which include artificial intelligence and quantum information science. Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 3 June 2025 Medicaid, which is facing deep cuts, is likely the biggest fight Senate Republicans will face. Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 June 2025 However, the Trump administration's significant reductions in foreign aid—slashing over 90 percent of USAID's foreign aid contracts and making deep cuts to the State Department—may keep Washington from capitalizing on this opportunity. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 The clip saw viral fame online several years ago, leading to the continued success of the Reputation deep cut. Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 31 May 2025 Many of the agencies targeted for deep cuts, including the Social Security Administration and the National Parks Service, are those that poll the highest according to Pew, and most Americans bear those workers no ill will. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025 The Trump administration's 2026 budget request, issued earlier this month, calls for very deep cuts to the NASA budget, hitting science particularly hard. Andrew Jones, Space.com, 30 May 2025

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

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Cite this Entry

“Deep cut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20cut. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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