cut across

British  

verb

1. (intr) to be contrary to ordinary procedure or limitations

   opinion on European integration still cuts clean across party lines

2. to cross or traverse, making a shorter route

   she cut across the field quickly

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cut across Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

“I don’t think about it in raw numbers. I think about it in the wealth of expertise and knowledge that has been cut across all levels,” a former senior Justice Department official said.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

When two birds finally lifted off, their movement cut across the industrial scene.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The layoffs will hit Lucid’s engineers the hardest, with about 140 jobs being cut across software and hardware engineering teams.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Nevertheless, all American families have entertained themselves in some way, and some of the most popular forms, like movies and TV, cut across social divides.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

White sails cut across water and the souls of great heroes basked on the beaches in perpetual bliss.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• cruise
• navigate
• pass over
• ply
• sail
• span
• traverse