cut it
Idioms-
Also, cut that . Stop, as in I won't stand for that—cut it! or If you don't cut that, I'll tell . [ Slang ; first half of 1800s] Also see cut it out .
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Manage, tolerate, as in I don't know how he can cut it . [ Slang ; c. 1900]
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Be effective, prove satisfactory, as in She's getting old and can no longer cut it . [Late 1900s] For a synonym see cut the mustard . Also see the subsequent entries beginning with cut it .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Let’s cut it to around 15 to 17 going into the fourth,” Brown told his team.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Behind some late baskets from Brink during an 11-3 run, the Sparks cut it to a seven-point deficit with just under two minutes left in the fourth.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
The language echoes Sir Keir's attempted reset speech on Monday, when the prime minister said "incremental change won't cut it" and promised to "face up to the big challenges" the country faced.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Fans and air conditioners won’t cut it anymore.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
“The person who cut it used it for bad medicine, but it did not work because my uncle burned the shirt immediately. That day, there were many flies near his hut.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
