cut to the bone

Idioms  

1. Severely reduced, as in During the Depression Grandmother's housekeeping money was cut to the bone. The phrase to the bone, literally meaning “through the flesh to the inmost part or core,” dates from about 1400. This expression in effect means that everything extraneous has been cut away so that only bone remains.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cut to the bone

She's "cut to the bone" by the careless words of a lover.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

"Their budget has been cut to the bone, and they are unable to perform many responsibilities that are vital to the national interest."

From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2022

Sarah Manguso has earned acclaim for memoirs that cut to the bone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2022

However, more than half of our state’s dailies are now ghost newspapers, with newsrooms that have been cut to the bone by hedge funds.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 8, 2021

"Lies are as dangerous as a sword. They can cut to the bone."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• abbreviate
• compress
• curtail
• cut
• cut back
• cut down
• lessen
• minimize
• reduce
• shrink
• slash
• trim