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
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
the cutting side of the sword blade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in satirical
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
her cutting comments serve only one purpose: to make someone cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in slicing
to penetrate with a sharp edge (as a knife)
I cut my hand on a piece of broken glass
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
as in isolating
to deliberately ignore or treat rudely
the snobbish lady cut anyone who didn't meet her standards of wealth and social standing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
6
as in diluting
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
the fruit juice was so cut with water that it was barely a fruit-flavored drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in veering
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
cut towards the goal, eluding a defender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in analyzing
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships
whichever way you cut it, we won't be seeing any profits from the business for at least three years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting
Adjective
-
As always, Danan’s voice is hysterically funny, her characters’ exhibiting a wry and biting sense of humor.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
19 May 2025 -
Fey’s writing usually has a reputation of being more on the biting or sardonic side, but The Four Seasons trades out the eye rolls for loving looks (mostly).—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
Swap that out for a slice of real lime or some fresh lime zest over the top of the pie.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
13 June 2025
-
My dad's life—our life—was a slice of the American dream.—
Lee Habeeb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
One issue that is rarely mentioned involves the potential harsh blowback that heavy drinkers might experience when suddenly skipping alcohol for a full month.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
-
The crawl from one to the other matters as much as the enlightenment itself—skipping the charnel grounds isn’t an option.—
Jackson Arn,
The New Yorker,
2 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Luckily, Pattinson manages to keep things buoyant without diluting the late-capitalism metaphors or the melancholy existentialism.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2025
-
One common pitfall is trying to merge every element of a marketing campaign into a single effort, diluting its effectiveness.—
Alex Khassa,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Being Wealthy In Switzerland—Average Net Worth The 2024 Global Wealth Report by Boston Consulting Group ranked Swiss adults first per capita when analyzing which country has the highest average wealth per person—with a net worth of $709,612.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
This involves scoping out and analyzing where to do fuel reduction, and monitoring smoke after lightning strikes and at campgrounds.—
Dua Anjum,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The withdrawal, and the chaos that accompanied it, drew sharp criticism from many Americans.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
-
And then there’s the funny, sharp and deeply ironic montages of Lucy’s clients.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
The poem is part love quest, part account of Italy’s battles; in places profoundly serious, in places satiric.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
-
Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
On June 2, Kelly Clarkson and Hoda Kotb appeared together on an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show wearing two very different versions of the leg-lengthening denim cut that’s sweeping Hollywood for summer: wide-leg jeans.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
5 June 2025
-
The rescissions process is not the only step the House can take to cement the spending cuts.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
4 June 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share