Cut to the bone Meaning in English
expression
ˈkət/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈboʊn
KUT tuh THUH BONE
kˈʌt/ /tˈuː/ /ðə, ði/ /bˈəʊn
KUT tuh BONE
Definition
To reduce something as much as possible, leaving only what is absolutely necessary. Often used for budgets, expenses, or resources.
Usage & Nuances
Usually informal or business speech. Used for financial or resource reduction: 'expenses were cut to the bone'. Do not use literally—it's not about physical cutting. Often implies a hardship or negative result.
Spanish: reducir al mínimo - recortar al máximoPortuguese (BR): cortar até o osso - reduzir ao mínimoPortuguese (PT): cortar até ao osso - reduzir ao mínimoChinese (Simplified): 削减到最低限度 - 削减到极致Chinese (Traditional): 削減到最低限度 - 削減到極致Hindi: अत्यधिक कटौती करना - पूरी तरह से कम करनाArabic: خفض إلى الحد الأدنىBengali: নূন্যতম পর্যায়ে কমানো - হাড় পর্যন্ত কমিয়ে ফেলাRussian: урезать до предела - сократить до минимумаJapanese: ぎりぎりまで削減するVietnamese: cắt giảm đến mức tối thiểuKorean: 최소한으로 줄이다 - 뼈를 깎다시피 하다Turkish: en aza indirmek - iliklerine kadar kesmekUrdu: انتہائی کم کرناIndonesian: cắt giảm đến mức tối thiểu
Example Sentences
The company cut to the bone to survive the crisis.
basic
We had to cut to the bone on our travel plans.
basic
Their budget was cut to the bone by the new policy.
basic
After all the layoffs, staffing was cut to the bone.
natural
We’ve cut to the bone, but it’s still not enough to balance the books.
natural
When sales dropped, spending was cut to the bone across all departments.
natural