cutting edge

noun

1
: a sharp effect or quality
2
: the foremost part or place : vanguard
cutting-edge adjective

Examples of cutting edge in a Sentence

a company that has always been on the cutting edge of the new electronic media He's a director who tries to keep his films right on the cutting edge.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As time goes by, Ruth's has settled into itself as a place with consistent, if not cutting edge, food. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 26 June 2025 President Donald Trump says his U.S. tariff policies - which have rattled global trade, supply chains and financial markets - are designed to encourage American manufacturing of cutting edge technology products and military equipment rather than apparel and sneakers. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 27 May 2025 After cutting edge surgery Angela Sutphin is without excruciating pain in her right arm and can get a full night’s sleep. Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2025 Little details like this make Mario Kart World feel modern in a subtle way even when the graphics aren’t exactly cutting edge. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for cutting edge

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cutting edge was in 1804

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Cite this Entry

“Cutting edge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutting%20edge. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

cutting edge

noun
1
: the sharp edge of a cutting tool
2
: the newest and most advanced area of an activity
cutting-edge adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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