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English Phrasal Verbs With CUT

English Phrasal Verbs With CUT

International English Test Editorial Team·15 Jan 2024·3 min read

You’re likely familiar with the word “CUT” in English, meaning to make an incision with a sharp tool. But there’s more to it.

In this article, I’ll discuss seven phrasal verbs which use the word CUT in English. You can learn more about what a phrasal verb is here.

     1. Cut up

This phrasal verb signifies “to divide into pieces.” For instance:

– I observed him cutting her photo into pieces.
– The teacher instructed me to cut the paper into squares.

     2. Cut down

Similar to the initial phrasal verb, “cut down” implies “to decrease the quantity of something.” It can also refer to “felling a tree or plant to the ground.” For example:

– My article was excessively long, so I had to cut it down to fit the space.
Our father removed the old tree in the garden because it obstructed all the light.

     3. Cut across

Our final phrasal verb indicates “taking a more direct route to reach a destination.” For instance:

– He swiftly cut across the park to pursue the man in black.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/A-MHdRP4vmQ?feature=oembed

     4. Cut back on something

The initial phrasal verb involving the word “cut” signifies “to reduce the consumption or frequency of something.” For instance, if your friend has chosen to eat less sugar due to a diet:

– My friend Jessica has to cut back on sugary sweets as she’s on a diet now.
– I’ve cut back on meat; now, I’m incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet.

     5. Cut in

This phrasal verb denotes “interrupting someone’s conversation.” For instance:

– I was attempting to speak with Ben, but my sister kept cutting in.
– He consistently cuts in! It’s becoming quite frustrating for me.

     6. Cut someone off

This English phrasal verb signifies “to exclude someone from an inheritance,” essentially “to remove a person from a will.”

For example:

– His parents cut him off after he dropped out of college.
– Jason’s family cut him off when he departed from home.

     7. Cut something out

This phrasal verb indicates “extracting something small from something larger by cutting.” For instance:

– I cut the article out of the newspaper.
– My younger brother enjoys cutting out colorful pictures of cars from magazines.

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To memorize these phrasal verbs, create sentences incorporating them for practical use and commit them to memory.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Cut down means to decrease the quantity of something, as in shortening an article to fit the space, and it can also mean felling a tree to the ground. Cut back on means to reduce how much or how often you consume something, such as cutting back on sugary sweets while on a diet or eating less meat in favour of fruit and vegetables.
Cut someone off means to exclude a person from an inheritance, in other words to remove them from a will. For example, his parents cut him off after he dropped out of college, and Jason's family cut him off when he left home. It describes a deliberate decision to deny someone money or property they would otherwise receive.
Cut up means to divide something into pieces, such as cutting a photo into pieces or cutting paper into squares. Cut something out means extracting a small item from a larger one by cutting, for example cutting an article out of a newspaper or cutting colourful pictures of cars from magazines. One divides a whole, while the other removes a part.
Cut in means to interrupt someone's conversation. For example, you might be trying to speak with Ben but your sister keeps cutting in, or a person who consistently cuts in becomes frustrating to talk to. It refers to breaking into a discussion before the other speaker has finished.
Cut across means taking a more direct route to reach a destination rather than following the usual path. For example, he swiftly cut across the park to pursue the man in black. The phrase suggests moving straight through an area to save time instead of going around it.
Create your own sentences using each phrasal verb so you practise it in a realistic context, then commit those sentences to memory. Linking cut up, cut down, cut across, cut back on, cut in, cut someone off and cut something out to concrete examples makes the meaning easier to recall than learning the definitions in isolation.
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International English Test Editorial Team

ALTE Associate Member · UK English assessment provider · Est. 2023

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