cut up

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cut-up" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cut up” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cut upward.

Key facts for cut up
PropertyValue
Headwordcut up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cut up” sits in English frequency

cut up falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cut up is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 10 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for cut up, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is cut up, spelled C-U-T- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cut upward.
  2. 2
    To cut into smaller pieces, parts, or sections.
  3. 3
    To lacerate; to wound by multiple lacerations; to injure or damage by cutting, or as if by cutting.
  4. 4
    To distress mentally or emotionally.
  5. 5
    To severely criticize or censure; to subject to hostile criticism.
  6. 6
    To behave like a clown or jokester (a cut-up); to misbehave; to act in a playful, comical, boisterous, or unruly manner to elicit laughter, attention, etc.
  7. 7
    To move aggressively in front of another vehicle while driving.
  8. 8
    To disintegrate; to break into pieces.
  9. 9
    To divide into portions well or badly; to have the property left at one's death turn out well or poorly when divided among heirs, legatees, etc.
  10. 10
    Comprise a particular selection of runners.

This word in other languages

picar(Español)zerschneiden(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cut up"?
"cut up" is spelled C-U-T- -U-P.
What does "cut up" mean?
As a verb, "cut up" means: To cut upward.
What language does "cut up" come from?
"cut up" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cut up”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-T- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list