cut

cut something down		make something fall to the ground	We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.
cut in		interrupt	Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.
cut in		pull in too closely in front of another vehicle	The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.
cut in		start operating (of an engine or electrical device)	The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.
cut something off		remove with something sharp	The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
cut something off		stop providing	The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.
cut someone off		take out of a will	My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
cut something out		remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)	I cut this ad out of the newspaper.

8 Phrasal Verbs with CUT

“Cut” is used in these phrasal verbs

cut across

To go across a place rather than around it, to make the trip faster.

Let’s cut across the park on the way home from school – it’ll be faster.

cut back (on) / cut down (on)

1. To reduce (especially spending)

We’re cutting back on entertainment in order to save up for our vacation. Instead of going to the movies once a week, we’re going once a month.

2. To consume less

I’m on a diet – I’m cutting down on fast food.

3. Cut down can also be used in the literal sense, regarding trees:

He’s cutting down a tree.

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cut in

1. Enter a conversation by interrupting

I couldn’t have a serious conversation with Barry because my sister kept cutting in.

2. When two people are dancing, and a third person interrupts them to dance with one of them.

May I cut in? I’d like to dance with Joanna.

3. To “cut in line” is to enter a line ahead of other people who have been waiting longer:

Cut it out!

Say “cut it out” when you want to tell another person to stop their bad behavior.

(your kids are running around the house yelling and screaming)
“Cut it out! I’m trying to take a nap!”

cut off

1. To remove something from something bigger.

I cut the tags off my new clothing.

2. When the telephone connection disconnects accidentally

We were cut off in the middle of our conversation.

3. To stop the supply of something

Our electricity was cut off after we didn’t pay the bill for 3 months.

4. To interrupt

I tried to explain about the problem, but she cut me off and said she didn’t want to hear about it.

5. To drive in front of another car suddenly

He got angry when another car cut him off on the highway.

cut out

1. To remove something (like a picture) from something bigger (like a magazine).

I cut the article out of the newspaper.

2. To “cut someone out” is to exclude them.

Helen cut her ex-boyfriend out of her life. She doesn’t even want to be friends with him.

3. When an engine, motor, or other machine stops.

I was terrified when the plane’s engines suddenly cut out.

cut up

To cut (with scissors) into smaller pieces.

“The teacher cut the paper up into triangles.”

English Lessons - Phrasal Verbs

These exercises are about using the verb 'to cut ' combined with particles:

'to cut across' means to take a shortcut over an area instead of going around the edge.

• It'll be quicker to cut across the field.
• She quickly cut across the car park to where he was standing.

'to cut back' means to reduce the amount of money being spent.

• The government has cut back on education with less teachers.
• I've had to cut back on my spending as I'm not making any money at the moment.

'to cut down' means to remove a tree or plant by cutting it near the base.

• To make bigger fields, the farmer has cut down a lot of the hedges.
• We cut down the old tree in the garden as it blocked all the light.

'to cut down' also means to reduce the number or quantity of something.

• The article was too long and so I had to cut it down to fit the space.
• I have cut down the number of hours I work to only thirty a week now.

'to cut in' = to interrupt someone when they are speaking.

• I was trying to explain it when she cut in and started talking.
• He really annoys me. He's always cutting in and never lets me speak.

'to cut off' = to stop supplies of something like electricity or water

• They didn't pay the bills and the electricity was cut off.
• The water was cut off while they repaired the leaking pipes.

'to cut off' can also mean to stop a telephone connection.

• I'll ring him back. We got cut off in the middle of the conversation.
• I'm sorry but I pressed the wrong button and cut you off.

'to cut out' = when an engine or piece of machinery suddenly stops working

• There's a problem with my car. The engine keeps cutting out.
• When I stopped at the lights, the engine cut out.

'to cut through' difficulty means to be able to deal with the problems or bureaucracy quickly

• To get the permits in time, we had to find a way to cut through all the bureaucracy.
• She can cut through the complex legal language and get to the point.

'to cut up' = to divide something into smaller pieces

• It was too big to go into the bin so I cut it up.
• At the end, there was a cake left so we cut it up and each took a piece home.