What does "undercut" mean?
A cut made in the lower part of something; the material so removed.
Undercut
/ˈʌndə(ɹ)kʌt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A cut made in the lower part of something; the material so removed.
- Grammar: undercut is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cut, anticlimaxes, assassinating, bedraggles.
- Useful contrasts: certain benefit, civil progress policies, educational example claim.
- Usage evidence: New ferries for Canada are being built in Poland and Germany after the European contractors undercut the bids offered by three Canadian shipyards.
How to use "undercut"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "undercut" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "undercut" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "undercut" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "undercut" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "undercut" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cut" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "undercut", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A cut made in the lower part of something; the material so removed.
- 2 a cut made underneath to remove material wordnet
- 3 The notch cut in a tree to direct its fall when being felled.
- 4 (sports) a stroke that puts reverse spin on the ball wordnet
- 5 The underside of a sirloin of beef; the fillet.
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a notch cut in the trunk of tree in order to determine the direction of its fall wordnet
- 7 A hairstyle that is shaved or clipped short on the sides and kept long on the top.
"Maybe it’s true that “the Left can’t meme,” if “the Left” refers to the earnest suburban revolutionary with an undercut and a nose ring who typically stalks your replies on X."
- 8 the tender meat of the loin muscle on each side of the vertebral column wordnet
- 9 A blow dealt upward.
- 10 the material removed by a cut made underneath wordnet
- 11 A section of a mold or pattern with negative draft angle
- 12 A pit stop strategy in which a driver seeks to gain an advantage over someone by pitting before them and using fresh tyres to make up time.
- 13 The continuation of the saddle of a rabbit's coat toward the front legs.
Verb
- 1 To sell (something) at a lower price, or to work for lower wages, than a competitor.
"The fact that, to cover low tariffs on bulk commodities, the railways have to charge very high rates on high-value goods, such as manufactures, has provided road operators with a golden opportunity to undercut the railway."
- 2 cut obliquely into (a tree) below the main cut and on the side toward which the tree will fall wordnet
- 3 To create an overhang by cutting away material from underneath.
- 4 strike (the ball) in golf, tennis, or hockey obliquely downward so as to give a backspin or elevation to the shot wordnet
- 5 To undermine.
"Though Bane’s sing-song voice gives his pronouncements a funny lilt, he doesn’t have any of the Joker’s deranged wit, and Nolan isn’t interested in undercutting his seriousness for the sake of a breezier entertainment."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 cut away the underpart of wordnet
- 7 To strike a heavy blow upward.
- 8 cut away material from the underside of (an object) so as to leave an overhanging portion in relief wordnet
- 9 To employ the undercut strategy.
- 10 sell cheaper than one's competition wordnet
- 11 To downplay or minimize.
"This was a very generous way of describing the swarm of cables, kit-bashed thaumatic cores, Noogenic foci and para-technological inverters, all surrounded by an astoundingly complex cognitohazardous sigil and multiple ontological anchors. This, simultaneously, simplified the interdisciplinary effort that had swelled in a miniscule amount of time, and undercut the sheer conceptual impact this could leave in all of their respective fields."
Adjective
- 1 Produced by undercutting. not-comparable
- 2 Designed so as to cut from the underside. not-comparable
- 3 Having the parts in relief cut under. not-comparable
Antonyms
Example
"New ferries for Canada are being built in Poland and Germany after the European contractors undercut the bids offered by three Canadian shipyards."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "undercut"?
Common synonyms include: cut, anticlimaxes, assassinating, bedraggles, beggars, belie.
How do you use "undercut" in a sentence?
New ferries for Canada are being built in Poland and Germany after the European contractors undercut the bids offered by three Canadian shipyards.
How do you pronounce "undercut"?
Pronounced /ˈʌndə(ɹ)kʌt/.
Etymology
From Middle English undercutten, equivalent to under- + cut.