Meaning trap
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.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
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.
'cut across' also has the more basic meaning 'to go across an area instead of going around the edge'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- 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
Fix the pattern
Pattern: cut across + noun (often abstract, e.g. issues, boundaries, sectors)
WrongThe problem cuts across in all groups.
RightThe problem cuts across all groups.
Takes the object directly — no 'in'.
Patterncut across + noun (often abstract, e.g. issues, boundaries, sectors)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Transcends conventional demographic categories' is dense; 'cut across' is the natural (if formal) verb for spanning groups.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
cut across + boundariesparty linesage groupsclassboundaries
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.