The 10 Phrasal Verbs
cut off
To disconnect or stop a supply; to interrupt someone; to isolate a person or place.
"The bank cut off his line of credit without any warning."
cut down (on)
To reduce an amount or habit; also to fell a tree.
"The doctor told him to cut down on salt and red meat."
cut out
To remove from something; to stop doing a habit; (engine) to suddenly stop working.
"She decided to cut out all unnecessary meetings from her week."
cut back (on)
To reduce spending, activities, or production — especially for financial reasons.
"The company had to cut back on travel expenses during the crisis."
cut in
To interrupt a conversation or activity; to move suddenly in front of someone (in traffic or a line).
"Sorry to cut in, but the meeting starts in two minutes."
cut up
To cut something into many pieces; (informal) to be visibly upset or distressed about something.
"He cut up the old contracts and tossed them in the bin."
cut through
To take a shortcut through a place; to penetrate or deal decisively with something complicated.
"His lawyer managed to cut through the red tape in just one week."
cut across
To go across an area as a shortcut; to affect many different groups or categories equally.
"The economic crisis cut across all industries, big and small."
cut short
To end something earlier than planned; to interrupt and stop something abruptly.
"The power outage cut short his presentation before he could finish."
cut corners
To do something in the quickest or cheapest way, sacrificing quality or standards.
"The contractor cut corners on the renovation — now the roof leaks."
Common Mistake: cut back vs cut down
Both mean "to reduce," and both can be followed by on + noun. But there is one important difference:
cut back (on) = reduce spending, production, or activities (usually for financial/practical reasons):
✓ "We cut back on advertising." / "She cut back her hours."
cut down (on) = reduce a habit or consumption; ALSO means to fell a tree:
✓ "He cut down on sugar." / "They cut down the old oak tree."
✗ "They cut back the old oak tree." → WRONG. Only 'cut down' is used for trees.
When in doubt: use cut back on for money/production and cut down on for habits.
Reading Passage
The Year of Cutbacks
Miguel had built his small carpentry workshop in Pérez Zeledón over fifteen years. He made custom furniture — dining tables, bookcases, hand-carved chairs — and his reputation was solid. But in January of that year, everything changed.
His main supplier cut off his line of credit without warning. Material costs had gone up, invoices were overdue, and the bank was no longer flexible. Miguel had to act fast.
He sat down with his accounts and started making decisions. He would cut back on all non-essential spending immediately. He cut down on staff overtime and cut out the two software subscriptions that were eating into his margins every month.
During a planning meeting, a sales representative tried to cut in and offer a cheaper wood alternative. Miguel listened politely, but he was not interested. A competitor had used that wood and had to cut corners on quality to stay profitable. That was not the path Miguel wanted to take.
The crisis cut across all the small businesses in town — the bakery, the tailor, the hardware store. Nobody was untouched. At one point, a scheduled bank meeting was cut short because of an emergency, and Miguel had to wait another week for answers.
But he kept pushing. He hired a local accountant who knew how to cut through the paperwork quickly. Together, they restructured Miguel's debts and found a new supplier with better terms. Miguel cut up the old contracts that had caused him so many problems and started fresh.
By December, the workshop was profitable again. Quality had never dropped. That, Miguel believed, was the real win.