cut across

British  

verb

1. (intr) to be contrary to ordinary procedure or limitations

   opinion on European integration still cuts clean across party lines

2. to cross or traverse, making a shorter route

   she cut across the field quickly

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cut across Idioms  

1. Go beyond, transcend, as in The new regulations cut across class lines. This figurative use of cut across, which literally means “run through” or “intersect,” dates from the 1920s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cut across

The dynamic cut across the software sector unequally on Friday, however.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

The attack also cut across the federal government's broader effort to present Kashmir as stable and open to tourism.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

“I don’t think about it in raw numbers. I think about it in the wealth of expertise and knowledge that has been cut across all levels,” a former senior Justice Department official said.

From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026

The Walt Disney Co. has begun a broad round of layoffs, which will result in 1,000 jobs being cut across multiple divisions within the Burbank entertainment giant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026

The waning sun cut across the room from the window, throwing a buttery light on the paneling and the wooden filing cabinets.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• cruise
• navigate
• pass over
• ply
• sail
• span
• traverse