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Glite Dictionary
to cut a wide swath

to cut a wide swath

1 7.7
Have a strong effect on many people or things
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : tener un gran impacto
  • John has cut a wide swath through the tech industry with his bold ideas and successful startups.

Examples

  • In his short career, Peter cut a wide swath in the art world, garnering attention for his innovative work.

  • Through college, he cut a wide swath.

    Academic text (1992)

  • A giant combine harvester cuts a wide swathe through a field of high corn.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Ressler has cut a wide swath among Southern California charitable and cultural institutions, as a leader and donor.

Synonyms

to impact
vsto cut a wide swath
255 3.4

To have a strong effect on someone or something

emphasizes also attracting attention through actions or achievements
to leave a mark
vsto cut a wide swath
  • Informal
18 3.9

To have a lasting effect on a person or thing that people notice

is about making a strong attention getting influence now rather than only lasting
to move the needle
vsto cut a wide swath
  • Jargon
8 6.2

To make a clear change in results or numbers

is more about noticeable influence and public attention than measurability

Antonyms

unnoticed
57 2.5

Other people do not see or pay attention to it

How Influential

to dominate
275 3.7
to cut a wide swath
  • Informal
1 7.7
to shape
328 3.4
to influence
591 2.2
to affect
∞ 3.0

Surface Forms

cut a wide swath infinitive
cut a wide swath past
cut a wide swath past participle
cutting a wide swath present participle
cuts a wide swath third person singular

Morphology

cut + a + wide + swath

The literal composition ('cut' + 'wide' + 'swath' = make a large strip or path) maps fairly directly onto the metaphorical sense of making a large impact or effect; a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly generalize this physical image to an abstract result. However, the meaning relies on a metaphorical extension (path/clearing → influence) and the noun 'swath' is relatively low-frequency, so the relation is only partially predictable without exposure.

Etymology

The phrase cut a wide swath comes from farming: when someone used a farm tool to cut a very wide swath across a field, it left a large clear path that everyone could see. So today cut a wide swath means 'to have a big effect or influence'.