cut in — interrupt someone who is speaking
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To start speaking while someone else is talking, usually without waiting for them to finish.
Say it like a native
Textbook I apologise for interrupting your conversation.
Native Sorry to cut in.
'Cut in' is the natural spoken way to flag an interruption; the apology is over-formal.
Pattern: cut in (on someone/something)
In use
- Please don't cut in while I'm explaining the instructions.communication
- During group discussions, it's important not to cut in when someone else is sharing their opinion.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He always cuts in me when I'm talking.
✓ He always cuts in when I'm talking. / He always cuts me off.
'Cut in' is intransitive ('cut in while/when'); to interrupt a person, use 'cut someone off'.
Common collocations
cut in (+ on)— on the conversation, to add, suddenly, rudely
Don't confuse it
'Cut in' focuses on interrupting by speaking. 'Cut off' can mean to stop someone from speaking, but also has other meanings.
Related
- cut in (suddenly drive in front of another vehicle) — Another meaning of 'cut in' is 'suddenly drive in front of another vehicle'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.