idiom · neutral
cut corners
UK/kʌt ˈkɔːnəz/US/kʌt ˈkɔːr·nərz/CUT·COR·ners
speakingtask2
to do something badly or cheaply, usually to save time or money
Examples
“If a company cuts corners on safety, accidents may happen.”
“We can't cut corners when it comes to students' health.”
“Some contractors cut corners to finish work faster, but the result is poor.”
Band 8 sentence
“While cutting corners might reduce short-term costs, it inevitably undermines long-term credibility.”
Collocations
- cut corners on safety / quality / production
- refuse to cut corners
Word family
cut corners verb phrase
Common mistakes
cut the corners→cut corners
cut corner→cut corners
Say it for a higher band
5save money→6do it quickly→7+cut corners
Synonyms
skimp on
do a rushed job
Easily confused
skimp on
“They skimped on the paint and the job didn't last long.”
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