cutaway
Americannoun
-
Also called cutaway coat. a man's formal daytime coat having the front portion of the skirt cut away from the waist so as to curve or slope to the tails at the back.
-
Movies, Television.
-
a switch from one scene to another for showing simultaneous or related action, creating suspense, etc.
-
Also called cutaway shot. a shot that abruptly introduces content, scenery, etc., away from the central action.
-
-
an illustration or scale model having the outer section removed to display the interior.
adjective
noun
-
a man's coat cut diagonally from the front waist to the back of the knees
-
-
a drawing or model of a machine, engine, etc, in which part of the casing is omitted to reveal the workings
-
( as modifier )
a cutaway model
-
-
films television a shot separate from the main action of a scene, to emphasize something or to show simultaneous events
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cutaway
First recorded in 1835–45; adj., noun use of verb phrase cut away
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.
See Examples For:
They’re loaded with practical effects and jokes that cost thousands of dollars to produce for a five-second cutaway scene.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
In a statement shared with The Times on Monday, CBS said that the controversial cutaway was due to a “programming timing error” and affected broadcasts in the Eastern and Central time zones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2024
As for the clapping paws, Pizzello said a member of the crew was also helping make that memorable cutaway happen.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024
The Stanford Law professors’ hand gestures and facial expressions played prominently into journalists’ recounts of the proceedings, offering the real-life version of the cutaway shot integral to any courtroom TV show.
From Slate ● Nov. 7, 2023
He might have stood there for a while, considering the cutaway road and the perfect metaphor it was, if a murder of black crows hadn’t shown up, cawing their stupid heads off.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
Whether it’s Morton’s perpetually scowling expression in the infrequent cutaways to Brian’s life back home or the on-the-nose emphasis on looming gray clouds, there’s no question a storm is coming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2025
Among this year's melodramatic cutaways to contestants supposedly in their hotel rooms was a clip of Charlotte reading a "Learn Welsh" book, priest Lisa praying and Keith practising his martial arts.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2025
Taylor Swift grimaced at a joke about the abundance of NFL cutaways to Swift in stadium stands.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 7, 2024
Then deciding what cutaways from America would bring out the emotions; there’s this great moment where Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie is just like, “Damn, she’s right,” that look while cocking her head.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
This was quite true since dignity was Edgerton & Edgerton's long suit, they being the variety of Wall Street lawyers who are said to sleep in their tall hats and cutaways.
From By Advice of Counsel by Train, Arthur Cheney
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.
