cut across — affect multiple groups
to be relevant to or have an influence on several different groups, categories, or areas, especially in a way that ignores traditional boundaries or distinctions.
Say it like a native
Textbook This concern transcends conventional demographic categories.
Native This issue cuts across age and class.
'Transcends conventional demographic categories' is dense; 'cut across' is the natural (if formal) verb for spanning groups.
Pattern: cut across + noun (often abstract, e.g. issues, boundaries, sectors)
In use
- The problem of climate change cuts across national, economic, and social boundaries.sociology
- The issue of digital privacy cuts across various sectors, including education, healthcare, and finance, making it a universal concern.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The problem cuts across in all groups.
✓ The problem cuts across all groups.
Takes the object directly — no 'in'.
Common collocations
cut across + boundaries— party lines, age groups, class, boundaries
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense, which is literal and refers to physically moving through a space, this sense is figurative and describes how an idea, issue, or phenomenon affects multiple categories or groups.
Related
- cut across (to go across an area instead of going around the edge) — 'cut across' also has the more basic meaning 'to go across an area instead of going around the edge'; this is the advanced sense.