undercut
undercut — verb
- undercutpresent simple I / you / we / they
- undercutshe / she / it
- undercutting-ing form
1. to offer goods or services more cheaply than a rival, so customers choose your s
to offer goods or services more cheaply than a rival, so customers choose your side instead.
The new bakery undercut nearby cafes by twenty dollars on each cake.
undercut + competitor + by + amount
When fuel costs fell, Mira's airline undercut bigger rivals on weekend flights.
common business setting with rival sellers
Online pharmacies can undercut local shops if shipping stays cheap.
By noon, one fruit seller had undercut every stall in the market.
- undercut rivals
- undercut competitors
- undercut local shops
- undercut the market
- undercut by twenty dollars
- overprice
to set a price higher than buyers think is fair
Grammar Patterns
undercut + competitor/rival
undercut + competitor + by + amount
undercut + market price
Usage Note
The object is the competing seller or the market price being beaten. This sense often appears with by plus an amount to show how much cheaper the offer is.
Common Mistakes
2. to make support, trust, or usefulness weaker so something is less likely to work
to make support, trust, or usefulness weaker so something is less likely to work or succeed.
Public leaks undercut the mayor's transport plan before the final vote.
undercut + plan
His careless joke undercut the serious mood of the memorial service.
Cheap copies undercut trust in the brand after the safety scare.
undercut + trust/confidence
Missing data undercut our argument in court by lunchtime.
- undercut confidence
- undercut trust
- undercut an argument
- undercut a plan
- undercut authority
- strengthen
to make something firmer or more effective
Grammar Patterns
undercut + plan/argument
undercut + confidence/trust
undercut + authority
Usage Note
This sense usually takes an abstract object such as confidence, authority, credibility, a plan, or an argument. It describes damage to a supporting base rather than physical cutting.
3. to brush under the ball as you strike it, making it spin backward after contact.
to brush under the ball as you strike it, making it spin backward after contact.
Joon undercut the tennis ball and dropped it short over the net.
undercut + ball to create backspin
On the steep green, Rafael undercut the chip to stop it quickly.
The coach told Lauren to undercut the hockey ball for a lifted pass.
coaching instruction in stick sports
In table tennis, Felix undercut the serve so it died near the line.
- undercut the ball
- undercut a serve
- undercut a chip
- undercut the shot
- slice
can also describe imparting spin, though it is broader than this technical sense
Grammar Patterns
undercut + ball
undercut + serve/chip
undercut + shot
Usage Note
Used in sports where players can brush under the ball to control its spin or height. The object is the ball or the shot, not the racket, club, or stick.
4. to cut upward into the lower part of something so material is taken away or the
to cut upward into the lower part of something so material is taken away or the piece falls a chosen way.
The woodworker undercut the shelf edge to make the front look thinner.
undercut + edge from the underside
Before the tree fell, Samir undercut the trunk on the river side.
forestry use with tree trunk
The mason undercut the stone block so the lamp base would fit.
During the repair, Eitan undercut the plaster lip with a narrow knife.
- undercut an edge
- undercut the trunk
- undercut the stone
- undercut from below
Grammar Patterns
undercut + edge/surface
undercut + stone/wood
undercut + trunk
Usage Note
This technical sense appears in woodworking, stonework, and tree felling. Unlike sense 2, it describes a literal physical cut made from underneath.
undercut — noun
- undercutsingular
- undercutsplural
1. a haircut with the back and sides clipped very close while the hair on top is le
a haircut with the back and sides clipped very close while the hair on top is left longer.
Felix asked for an undercut before starting art school in September.
collocation: ask for an undercut
The singer's undercut looked sharper after the barber trimmed the sides.
hairstyle with short sides and longer top
At the wedding, Paloma pinned the long top of her undercut sideways.
Joon grew out his undercut during winter because his ears got cold.
- get an undercut
- wear an undercut
- grow out an undercut
- trim the undercut
Grammar Patterns
get an undercut
have an undercut
wear an undercut
Usage Note
Usually used for a modern haircut with a strong contrast between short sides and a longer top section. English commonly uses get, have, or wear with this noun.
Common Mistakes
2. a V-shaped notch cut low in a trunk so the tree falls in the planned direction.
a V-shaped notch cut low in a trunk so the tree falls in the planned direction.
The crew checked the undercut before bringing the pine down.
forestry noun used before felling
One shallow undercut sent the tree leaning toward the fence.
After measuring the slope, the forester widened the undercut on the valley side.
undercut controls direction of fall
Rain filled the undercut at the base of the cedar overnight.
- cut an undercut
- deepen the undercut
- check the undercut
- undercut at the base
- notch
a broader word for a cut-out shape, not limited to tree felling
Grammar Patterns
cut an undercut
check the undercut
deepen the undercut
Usage Note
This sense belongs to tree-felling work. It names the guiding notch itself, not the broader act of cutting the whole tree down.
3. a cut or hollow made from below a surface to remove material or leave an overhan
a cut or hollow made from below a surface to remove material or leave an overhanging edge.
The cabinet door would not close until the carpenter deepened the undercut.
technical cut under a surface
A small undercut beneath the stone lip made the bowl look lighter.
undercut beneath an overhanging edge
The restorer filled the old undercut under the window ledge with plaster.
Without the undercut, the carved panel looked flat from the doorway.
- deepen the undercut
- fill the undercut
- make an undercut
- undercut beneath the edge
- recess
a broader word for a hollowed-in area, not always cut from below
Grammar Patterns
make an undercut
deepen the undercut
fill the undercut
Usage Note
Used in craft, building, and carving contexts for a cut made underneath a surface. Distinguish from sense 2, which is specifically the notch used when felling a tree.
4. a tender cut of meat taken from the loin area along the backbone of an animal.
a tender cut of meat taken from the loin area along the backbone of an animal.
The butcher sold pork undercut for tonight's hotpot dinner.
food label: pork undercut
For the family meal, Aunt Rosa sliced the undercut thin and fried it.
The chef wrapped the undercut in bacon to stop it drying out.
undercut as a tender meat cut
Because the undercut is tender, it cooks faster than the shoulder.
- pork undercut
- slice the undercut
- cook the undercut gently
- tender undercut
- tenderloin
the more widely used name for a very similar cut
- fillet
a broader meat term that can overlap, especially in cooking
Grammar Patterns
buy undercut
slice the undercut
cook undercut gently
Usage Note
This sense appears in butchery and cooking. It refers to the meat cut itself, often named together with the animal, such as pork undercut.
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
Undercut and undersell are very close, but undercut often highlights beating a rival by going slightly lower on price, while undersell focuses on selling more cheaply in general. Underbid belongs especially to jobs, contracts, and auctions, where one side offers a lower figure than another. Discount is broader and simply means reduce a price; a shop can discount old stock without competing with anyone directly. Outprice sounds more strategic and often suggests pushing a rival out because they cannot match your prices. You might say a bakery undercut the cafe next door, a builder underbid two other firms, or a shop discounted winter coats after the holidays.
Etymology
Undercut is a compound built from under and cut. Its oldest idea is literal: cutting from below or taking material away underneath something. From that physical image, English developed several later senses, including the notch cut in a tree, the haircut with the sides cut short underneath, and the business sense of dropping your price below a rival's.
First known use
1598
1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1 Noun