From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcut out phrasal verb1 REMOVE somethingCUTremove something cut something ↔ out to remove something by cutting round it The cancerous cells had to be cut out.cut something ↔ out of Billy showed me the article he’d cut out of the magazine.2 MAKE something INTO A SHAPECUTcut a shape cut something ↔ out to cut a shape from a piece of paper, cloth etc The children were cutting out squares from the scraps of material.3 stop something happening cut something ↔ out to stop something from happening or existing The idea behind these forms is to cut out fraud. A catalytic converter will cut out 90% of carbon monoxide emissions.4 STOP DOING somethingSTOP DOING somethingstop doing/eating something cut something ↔ out to stop doing or eating something, especially because it might be bad for your health The current advice to pregnant women is to cut out alcohol.5 PIECE OF WRITING/NEWS REPORT ETCREMOVEfrom writing cut something ↔ out to remove something from a piece of writing, especially because it might offend people Cut out the bit about racial prejudice. 6 cut it/that out spokenSTOP DOING something used to tell someone to stop doing something because it is annoying you Hey, you guys, cut it out – Mom’s trying to get some sleep.7 STOP somebody FROM DOING somethingPREVENTnot involve somebody cut somebody ↔ out to stop someone from doing something or being involved in something The new rules will cut out 25% of people who were previously eligible to vote.8 be cut out for something (also be cut out to be something) [usually in questions and negatives]SUITABLE to have the qualities that you need for a particular job or activity In the end, I decided I wasn’t cut out for the army. Are you sure you’re really cut out to be a teacher?9 MOTORTTCengine if an engine or machine cuts out, it suddenly stops working The engine cut out halfway across the lake.10 STOP something BEING SEENHIDE/MAKE IT HARD TO FIND OR SEElight/view cut something ↔ out to prevent light, sound etc from reaching somewhere You’ll need sunglasses that will cut out harmful UV rays from the sun.11 cut somebody outSCL to prevent someone from getting something, especially your money after your death Em’s father decided to cut her out of his will. → have your work cut out at work2(16), → cut out the middleman at middleman → cut→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
cut out• Every time Mark slowed down the engine cut out.• Make sure you cut out any tough, gristly parts before you cook the meat.• I knew I would have to cut the bullet out before the wound became infected.• With this diet, I have to cut out bread, cookies, and cakes.• I started to go up the hill and the engine just cut out on me.• Try cutting out red meat and dairy produce, and see if your symptoms improve.cut of• Gutfreund subsequently cut Drexel out of all Salomon Brothers bond deals.• Or would its growth simply cut lawyers out of dispute resolution?• Mr Grange sits bundled up in his aluminum chair and cuts snowflakes out of lined notebook paper.• Such incentive programs are likely to cut a chunk out of profits.• I cut myself out of the loop.• Investors and analysts took that to mean a rate cut is out of the question.cut it/that out• Come on, kid, cut that out.• You got ta cut that out.• My mom cut it out and gave it to me.• I liked that picture so Marie let me cut it out and stick it on the wall.• As for refined sugar - cut it out, as much as you can.• You shouldn't cut it out completely.• My colleague saw it and cut it out for me.• Rusty, cut it out, I'm trying to study in here.• Once the design has been traced, you must then cut it out very carefully with a very sharp knife.be cut out for something• Sam is still a life guard - he's just not cut out for a nine-to-five job.• And her work would be cut out for her. 