cut corners

Idioms  

1. Do something in the easiest or least expensive way; also, act illegally. For example, Cutting corners in production led to a definite loss in product quality, or If the accountant cuts corners the auditors are sure to find out. This term alludes to rounding a corner as closely as possible in order to shorten the distance traversed and/or save time. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cut corners

Students understand AI’s power because many of us already use it to cut corners in school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

But those cases all involved human decisions -- executives, salespeople or engineers who made choices and cut corners.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

When deadlines and bills are circling you, the temptation to cut corners is extremely powerful.

From Slate ● Mar. 28, 2026

The stakes are high for her and anyone else who may be unaware that their tax preparer cut corners or committed fraud — even if it happened decades ago, the court papers said.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026

There were the hardworking ones who were easy to get along with and didn’t try to cut corners and melded in quite nicely.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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