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↔️ To go through 🌐 To go beyond limits
to cut across

to cut across

8 3.2
To go through a place like a park to make a shorter route
  • phrasal verb
  • /kʌt əˈkrɔs/
translation icon : atravesar
  • So one day I was cutting across the field back to my room and he came walking up beside me.
  • cut across the lawn
  • cut across the field
  • cut across the backyard

Something cold and sharp cuts across Clary's arm.

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Examples

  • Feeling like a burglar, I closed the car door softly and cut across the lawn.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • We cut across this field right here, we'll be there in an hour.

    Stand by Me (1986)

  • Maybe I can cut across this field.

    Deadly Harvest (1977)

  • The other two were cutting across the street, coming directly for them.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • To save time, I made up my mind to risk cutting across the count's property.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Irritated, she hung up, turned the burners off, and cut across the backyard to our house.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • So we're going to cut across to Lolly Bella, located in what is now Ethiopia.

  • Not knowing the etiquette of the harbor, he cut across the fairway and between unused mooring buoys.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • We can cut across the park to reach the other side more quickly.

  • If we cut across that field, we should arrive at the village faster.

Synonyms

to pass
vsto cut across
∞ 1.0

To move past something or someone

narrows this to using a direct shortcut through space
to cross
vsto cut across
∞ 1.0

To go across something from one side to the other

highlights choosing a direct shortcut through an area
to cut
vsto cut across
  • Informal
343 2.8

To move quickly in a new direction, often to take a shortcut

focuses more on a simple direct shortcut rather than abrupt turns
to cover
vsto cut across
192 3.3

To go across an area or distance

is more specific, focusing on a short direct path through space
to get over
vsto cut across
100 3.3

Move across something like a river or mountain

stresses doing so by taking a more direct shortcut route
to move through
vsto cut across
80 2.1

Pass from one point to another during a journey or process

implies choosing a shorter direct route through rather than routine passage
to get across
vsto cut across
53 1.8

Move from one side to the other, for example across a road or river

adds the idea of using a shorter direct route rather than simple crossing
to cut through
vsto cut across
51 3.0

To go straight across a place, for example through land or a crowd

is about taking a shorter direct route rather than forceful breaking
to pass over
vsto cut across
26 3.3

To move across a place, often above the ground

involves going through an area as a shortcut rather than going above it
to traverse
vsto cut across
16 5.6

To move across land or water from one side to the other

emphasizes using a shorter, more direct route
to pass through
vsto cut across
  • Jargon
14 5.2

To move across an enemy line to reach the other side

is the everyday idea of taking a short direct route, not combat
to slice through
vsto cut across
10 4.1

Cut or move quickly and smoothly through air and water

is about choosing a direct route rather than the swift cutting manner
to transect
vsto cut across
4 7.9

To cut across a place in a straight line and divide it

is less formal, focusing on using a short direct route
to crosscut
vsto cut across
1 5.4

To cut across a piece of wood at an angle to fit it

means crossing directly without stressing angle or orientation

Antonyms

to detour
7 3.7

To go by a longer route to avoid a blocked road

How Direct

to cut across
8 3.2
to cross
∞ 1.0
to get across
53 1.8
to go around
76 3.5

Surface Forms

cut across infinitive
cut across past
cut across past participle
cutting across present participle
cuts across third person singular

Morphology

cut + across

The constituents 'cut' (to slice or traverse) and 'across' (from one side to another) clearly suggest moving through or over a boundary, so learners can infer a basic sense of crossing or spanning. However, the MWE’s abstract extension to ‘disregard or go beyond rules/distinctions’ is a metaphorical shift from the physical meaning and may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Cut across comes from the simple image of using a knife or a straight path to cut across an area, like walking straight across a field instead of following the long road. So it means 'to go through or across something', often as a 'shortcut'.