Cut back (on) something
- reduce
If we don't cut back on expenditure, the company will face serious difficulties.
Cut down (on) something
- reduce (consumption)
He has cut down on his daily calorie intake by half.
Cut in
- interrupt
- drive sharply in front of another car when overtaking
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut in like that.
I wish big lorries wouldn't cut in like that. It upsets me.
Cut off
- turn
The police saw the suspect cut off down a dark lane.
Cut someone off
- break a telephone connection
- isolate sb
I got through to the right number, but then we were cut off.
The snow drifts have cut several hundred holiday-makers off from the larger ski resorts
Cut something off
- interrupt the supply of a service (electricity, gas, telephone)
- isolate something
If you don't pay the bill, they'll cut your electricity off.
The low-lying villages were cut off by flood water for several days.
Cut out
- stop functioning
I'm having terrible trouble with the engine. It keeps cutting out.
Cut someone out
- (informal) eliminate/defeat someone
She's managed to cut out all competition so far, so it looks as though she may win the tournament.
Cut something out
- stop something, do without something
- (informal) stop doing something because it is not desired
- exclude something
Cut out bread and potatoes and you'll soon start to lose weight.
We've had enough of that silly talk, now just cut it out! Let's cut out the preliminaries and get started on the important business.
Cut someone up
- (informal) upset someone
- (informal) injure sb
The bad news naturally cut him up a lot.
The car crash cut him up a bit but he's fully recovered now