short-cut
verb (used with object)
to cause to be shortened by the use of a shortcut.
short-cut
American
[shawrt-kuht]
/ ˈʃɔrtˌkʌt /
verb (used with object)
short-cut,
short-cutting
verb (used without object)
short-cut,
short-cutting
short cut
British
noun
-
a route that is shorter than the usual one
-
a means of saving time or effort
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of short-cut
First recorded in 1560–70
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.
Taking a short cut on the long walk to school, she stumbles on a pond in a wooded area.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025
You can buy it ready made in a jar or even a box, off the grocery store shelf or use an equally accessible powdered packet as a short cut.
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2025
"It is indeed an expensive option. But it works. It works for the people, the residents on the ship, it works for the environment and it's a short cut solution for a serious problem."
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2023
“There are times when people react and think that government actions can be a short cut to getting things done,” he said.
From Washington Post • Mar. 8, 2023
‘I suppose we haven’t lost more than two days by my short cut through the Forest! But perhaps the delay will prove useful — it may have put them off our trail.’
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
