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Synonyms

cutting edge

American  

noun

  1. the sharp edge of a cutting implement.

  2. forefront; lead.

    on the cutting edge of computer technology.
cutting edge British  

noun

  1. the leading position in any field; forefront

    on the cutting edge of space technology
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. at the forefront of people or things in a field of activity; leading

    cutting-edge technology
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • cutting-edge adjective

Etymology

Origin of cutting edge

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Without him, England lacked punch, creativity and cutting edge.

From BBC

And Lilly wants its smaller peers to know it stands on the cutting edge.

From Barron's

So it likely doesn’t represent the cutting edge of what AI companies are currently doing and the claimed results may not be as dramatic with today’s models.

From Barron's

Automation can be a convenient cover to reverse postpandemic overhiring—not to mention an attempt to signal that a business is on the cutting edge.

From The Wall Street Journal

Artificial intelligence is transforming Hollywood at a pace that has sent shockwaves through creative industries, but human creativity will always prevail, a leading executive at the cutting edge of that change told AFP.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.