Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cut one's losses

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.09 in modern English

Syllables: cut one's loss-es
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To discontinue something to put a stop to continued losses after facing that it is unlikely it will ever bear fruit.

Example Sentences

"But our culture has reinforced the belief that a good marriage just happens, and if it doesn't, you should simply cut your losses and move on to the next partner. After all, that's what we see in the movies."
"I mentioned already in this chapter that you need to cut your losses before they drag you down. No matter how much it hurts and no matter how much you believe that you are right, you need to close out a losing position and move on."
"Sometimes when things are not going as you expected, it's better to cut your losses and move on than to hang on and deal with the stress, financial drain, emotional drag, and loss of time."
"One of life's most useful skills is knowing when to cut your losses. The $11.8bn digital mood-board platform Pinterest, down nearly 80 per cent since its 2021 peak, may be approaching that moment."

Inflected Forms

cuts one's losses (present, singular) cutting one's losses (participle, present)

Phrases

sunk cost

Frequently Paired Words

sunk cost throw good money after bad

Questions

What does cut one's losses mean?: To discontinue something to put a stop to continued losses after facing that it is unlikely it will ever bear fruit.

How to pronounce cut one's losses

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