idiom · neutral
cut one's teeth on
UK/kʌt wʌnz tiːθ ɒn/US/kʌt wʌnz tiθ ɑn/cut·ONE'S·TEETH·ON
to gain initial experience in something, often in a junior or early role
Examples
“She cut her teeth on small tutoring jobs before becoming a full-time teacher.”
“Many scientists cut their teeth on short research projects.”
“He cut his teeth on local newspaper reporting.”
Band 8 sentence
“I cut my teeth on several small research assignments, which taught me how to design experiments properly.”
Collocations
- cut one's teeth on small projects
- cut one's teeth in journalism/teaching/research
Word family
Common mistakes
He cut his teeth in university and now works there.→He cut his teeth on university projects and now works there.
She cut her teeth with small jobs.→She cut her teeth on small jobs.
Say it for a higher band
5get experience→6start out→7+cut one's teeth on
Synonyms
gain experience
start out
Easily confused
get your feet wet
“He got his feet wet as an intern before taking on a full-time position.”
Related words
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In Study
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