cut
Be careful when you cut the vegetables.
Forms
cuts v. 3rd-person singular
She cuts the paper along the dotted line.
cut v. past / past participle
He cut his finger while chopping onions.
cutting v. gerund / present participle
Cutting onions always makes me tear up.
cut noun
There's a small cut on his thumb.
cutter noun
Use the pastry cutter to slice the dough into shapes.
Phrasal verbs
cut off
To stop the supply of something or to interrupt/remove by separation.
The phone company cut off our service after we missed the payment.
cut out
To remove something by cutting; also to stop doing something (e.g., a habit).
She cut out the damaged piece of fabric and sewed the patch.
cut down (on)
To reduce the amount, frequency, or size of something.
I'm trying to cut down on sugar this month.
cut back (on)
To reduce spending, use, or production.
The company cut back on travel expenses to save money.
cut in
To interrupt someone who is speaking or to move into traffic abruptly in front of another vehicle.
He cut in during our conversation with an urgent question.
cut up
To cut into pieces; also informally to upset someone emotionally.
She cut up the vegetables for the soup.
cut through
To make a path through something or to take a more direct route that saves time.
We cut through the park to catch the earlier train.
cut across
To take a shorter route across an area; to contradict or go against norms or boundaries.
Let's cut across the field instead of walking around on the path.
cut into
To reduce the amount (e.g., profits, savings) or to intrude/interfere with something.
Rising costs will cut into our monthly savings.
cut loose
To free oneself from restraint or to act without restrictions.
After the final exam she wanted to cut loose and celebrate with her friends.