Meaning trap
cut in
suddenly drive in front of another vehicle
To move your vehicle quickly in front of another car, often without enough space or warning.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To move your vehicle quickly in front of another car, often without enough space or warning.
Another meaning of 'cut in' is 'interrupt someone who is speaking'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- A car cut in right in front of me on the highway, and I had to brake hard.travel
- One problem with city driving is that some drivers cut in without signaling, which can cause accidents.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: cut in (on someone/something)
WrongA car cut in me on the motorway.
RightA car cut in front of me on the motorway.
Use 'cut in front of' someone when driving — not 'cut in' someone.
Patterncut in (on someone/something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Cut in' is the natural driving complaint; the long description reads like a written accident report.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
cut in (front of)in front of mesuddenlywithout indicatinga car
Don't confuse it
'Cut in' is about moving in front of another vehicle suddenly. 'Overtake' means to pass another vehicle, not necessarily in a rude way.
Related
- cut in (interrupt someone who is speaking) — Another meaning of 'cut in' is 'interrupt someone who is speaking'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.