idiom (verb phrase) · neutral
cut one's teeth
/kʌt wʌnz tiːθ/CUT·one's·TEETH
to get initial practical experience in a particular job or activity
Examples
“She cut her teeth in a small local newspaper before joining the national press.”
“Many managers cut their teeth by handling difficult clients early in their careers.”
“He cut his teeth on small projects before leading the major redevelopment.”
Band 8 sentence
“He cut his teeth on grassroots campaigns, which later shaped his pragmatic approach to national policy.”
Collocations
- cut one's teeth on
- cut one's teeth in
Word family
Common mistakes
cut the teeth→cut one's teeth
cut teeth→cut one's teeth
Say it for a higher band
5get experience→6learn the ropes→7+cut one's teeth
Synonyms
gain initial experience
Easily confused
learn the ropes
“He learned the ropes during his first month at the company.”
Related words
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In Success
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