cut across

verb

To take a shortcut over or through (a place).

“Teachers tried to cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries in their lessons.”

Similar
cut throughtraversetrackcovercrosspass overget overget across
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Meanings

verbcut across (third-person singular simple present cuts across, present participle cutting across, simple past and past participle cut across)

present singular third person cuts across · participle present cutting across

  1. To take a shortcut over or through (a place).

    Synonyms: cut through

  2. broadlyfigurativelyTo go through figurative barriers; to go beyond an expected boundary.

    Teachers tried to cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries in their lessons.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo take a shortcut over or through (a place).

Similar
cut through

More synonyms by meaning

verbtravel across or pass over

Similar
traversetrackcovercrosspass overget overget acrosscut through
Broader
pass

verbcut using a diagonal line

Similar
crosscut
Broader
cut
Also see
covercrosscrosscutcut throughget acrossget overpass overtracktraverse

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

cut across. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20across

MLA

“cut across.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20across. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cut across,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20across.

Source: cut across on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.