globalneutralliteral
- To make an opening or passage in or across something by cutting.
- To physically pass through an object or material by cutting it.
globalneutralphysicalcolloquial
- To travel across or through an area as a shorter or more direct route; to take a shortcut through a place.
globalfigurativeneutral
- To penetrate or overcome an obstacle, difficulty, or resistance; to make progress by bypassing impediments.
- To bring clarity or reach the essential point of a complex matter; to get directly to the core of an issue.
globalinformalcolloquial
- To have an impact or be persuasive or effective with an audience or situation (often used in negative: 'doesn't cut through').