unkindest cut

Idioms  

1. The worst insult, ultimate treachery, as in And then, the unkindest cut of all—my partner walks out on me just when the deal is about to go through. This expression was invented by Shakespeare in describing Julius Caesar's stabbing to death by his friends in Julius Caesar (3:2): “This was the most unkindest cut of all.”

---

Example Sentences

But for Subaru’s tree-hugging clientele, the unkindest cut has been fuel economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

In the unkindest cut of all, these critics say that Glantz has become an unwitting ally of the tobacco industry.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2021

Maybe the unkindest cut came after the relocation vote at the Board of Governors meeting in Dallas.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 2, 2020

We need people to stop this unkindest cut of all.

From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2017

"Now that's what I call the unkindest cut of all," replied Davy.

From The Boy Scouts in the Blue Ridge Marooned Among the Moonshiners by Carter, Herbert