Skip to main content
to slice into

to slice into

3 4.2
Move a sharp object into something to cut it
  • phrasal verb
  • /slaɪs ˈɪntu/
translation icon : cortar
  • I glanced back toward the first platform, and she dove and sliced into the water.
  • sliced into strips
  • sliced into rings
  • sliced into wedges

Examples

  • A sheet of silver sliced into the sea like javelins thrown by angry gods.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • As the boat glided smoothly across the lake, it slice into the calm water, creating gentle ripples.

  • Now let's let's switch this up so that, you know, you can slice into this thing.

  • As she sliced into the fragrant brown earth, she wondered.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Two minutes after it had sliced into the atmosphere, Kali re-entered space.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Thin white beams of moonlight had sliced into her room and fallen upon the locket, reflecting the light with brilliant, prismlike shards.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The chef will slice into the roast beef to prepare it for serving.

  • The knife slice into the ripe tomato with ease, making perfect slices for the salad.

Synonyms

to slit
vsto slice into
100 2.8

To make a long narrow cut in something

is about moving into or through with a cutting motion rather than just opening
to cut into
vsto slice into
89 2.3

To make something into smaller pieces using a knife or tool

focuses on entering or passing through with a blade motion rather than splitting into pieces
to cut through
vsto slice into
51 3.0

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

uses a smooth blade entry motion rather than breaking through with force
to slice through
vsto slice into
10 4.1

Cut or move quickly and smoothly through air and water

allows forceful or smooth entry into something rather than only quick passing
to transect
vsto slice into
4 7.9

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

is about moving in with a cutting motion rather than formal straight line division
to knife
vsto slice into
2 7.4

To move quickly and smoothly through water or snow

involves a smooth cutting entry and can be forceful rather than only fast

How Forceful

to cleave
8 8.0
slash
17 3.6
to hack
55 4.7
to slice into
3 4.2
to cut into
89 2.3
to nick
33 3.5

Surface Forms

slice into infinitive
sliced into past participle
slicing into present participle
slices into third person singular

Morphology

slice + into

The meaning is directly compositional: 'slice' (to cut into thin pieces) combined with 'into' (movement into something) yields the straightforward sense of cutting/moving into something. This verb + preposition pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically analogous (e.g., 'cut into'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Slice into comes from the image of cutting or going cleanly into something: a knife slice goes into a tomato, or a diver slices into the water with a smooth, sharp motion. So, the phrase now means 'to move quickly or forcefully into something', and it can also mean words or actions that 'hurt someone deeply'.