cut out

Meaning

To completely stop doing, eating, or using something, or to remove something from a larger piece. In casual conversation, it is also used as an imperative command ('Cut it out!') to tell someone to stop doing something annoying.

Examples

• My doctor advised me to cut out dairy products entirely for a month.

  My doctor advised me to cut out dairy products entirely for a month.

• She cut out the coupon from the newspaper to save five dollars.

  She cut out the coupon from the newspaper to save five dollars.

• Hey, cut it out! I'm trying to study and you're making too much noise.

  Hey, cut it out! I'm trying to study and you're making too much noise.

• If you want to lose weight, you might want to cut out sugary drinks.

  If you want to lose weight, you might want to cut out sugary drinks.

• I decided to cut out toxic people from my life to protect my peace.

  I decided to cut out toxic people from my life to protect my peace.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I cut out to eat fast food.

  ✓ I cut out eating fast food.

  When 'cut out' is followed by an action, use the gerund (-ing) form, not the infinitive.

• ✗ Please cut out it.

  ✓ Please cut it out.

  When using 'cut out' as a command with the pronoun 'it', the pronoun must go between 'cut' and 'out'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I've decided to ___ gluten from my diet to see if I feel better.

  💡 Completely remove or stop eating.

  Show answer

  cut out

• The kids were fighting, so their dad yelled, '___!'

  💡 Stop doing that annoying thing.

  Show answer

  cut it out