cut it close

verb

To barely complete something.

“Driving 300 miles on one tank of gas was cutting it close, but we arrived safely.”

Similar
cut it fine
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Meanings

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

present singular third person cuts it close · participle present cutting it close

  1. colloquialTo barely complete something.

    Driving 300 miles on one tank of gas was cutting it close, but we arrived safely.

    Synonyms: cut it fine

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cut, it, close.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo barely complete something.

Similar
cut it fine
Also see
cut it fine
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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