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cut across

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cut across something

 

1. . and cut across Lit. to travel across a particular area; to take a shortcut across a particular area. Please don't cut across the neighbor's yard anymore.

2. Fig. to reach beyond something; to embrace a wide variety; to slice across a figurative boundary or barrier. His teaching cut across all human cultures and races. This rule cuts across all social barriers.

See also: across, cut

cut across something

to include many different groups The appeal of these coffee places cuts across all social levels.

See also: across, cut

cut across

Go beyond, transcend, as in The new regulations cut across class lines. This figurative use of cut across, which literally means "run through" or "intersect," dates from the 1920s.

See also: across, cut

cut across

v.

1. To travel across some region, rather than around it: We can get to the house faster if we just cut across the front lawn.

2. To affect or concern a number of different groups of persons or things: The issue of health care cuts across all social classes.

See also: across, cut