cutaway

1 of 2

adjective

cut·​away ˈkət-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce cutaway (audio)
: having or showing parts cut away
a cutaway drawing

cutaway

2 of 2

noun

1
: a coat with skirts tapering from the front waistline to form tails at the back
2
a
: a cutaway picture or representation
b
: a shot that interrupts the main action of a film or television program to take up a related subject or to depict action supposed to be going on at the same time as the main action
3
: a back dive in which the head is lowered toward the board after the takeoff

Examples of cutaway in a Sentence

Adjective The diagram shows a cutaway view of an engine.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Here are two of his cutaway views of the cerebellum, which coordinates movement. Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2011 All of this is presented in clean, efficient cutaway scenes, branches that sprout from the investigation that forms the core of the story. Katie Rife, Chron, 17 Nov. 2022 One cutaway gag involves Homer scribbling profusely on a chalkboard, the bottom of which shows a math equation. Mike Bloom, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2022 The Michelin man on site at the Z06 track event showed us a cutaway Cup 2R carcass, which revealed a recent discovery by the company. Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 3 Oct. 2022 This cutaway view of a Western Digital 18TB Gold drive shows off its nine platters and triple-stage actuators. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 8 June 2022 Lilly notes this cutaway scene was omitted from the final episode. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 June 2022 An 80-plus-degree day in February, with all those stereotypical cutaway shots of the beach, Griffith Park Observatory and movie stars? Brian Lowry, CNN, 13 Feb. 2022 The smaller pack no doubt helps keep costs manageable, starting at $43,295 for a cutaway model (think cab and frame but not much else). Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2022
Noun
Oh, and there was one cutaway to Messi the dog from Anatomy of a Fall clapping that broke me a little. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 That said, the frequency of cutaways could make one feel at times that the game was interrupting the commercials. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 The only thing that would tick off Trump voters more than a Biden endorsement would be a cutaway to Swift’s luxury suite catching her shot-gunning Bud Lights with Dylan Mulvaney, Colin Kaepernick and Hunter Biden. Doug McIntyre, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 During the first half, Swift was the focus of camera cutaways five times. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024 There are no cutaways from the act of creating to a miraculously perfect finished product. Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 The sports talker cited a recent New York Times article which found that camera cutaways to Swift and others in the suite averaged 25 seconds of every broadcast. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024 Wondering if a cutaway of a shirtless @JasonKelce screaming and holding a beer to celebrate his brother’s touchdown is ruining anyone’s entertainment value of this game out there. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2024 Swift, an expert at making the most of wordless TV cutaways, telegraphed her displeasure with a single swig of her drink. Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cutaway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1841, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cutaway was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near cutaway

Cite this Entry

“Cutaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutaway. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cutaway

1 of 2 adjective
cut·​away ˈkət-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce cutaway (audio)
: showing the top or outside cut away so the inside parts can be seen
a cutaway view

cutaway

2 of 2 noun
1
: a coat with skirts cut from the front waistline to form tails at the back
2
: a cutaway illustration

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