cutback

noun

"cutback" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cutback” is uncommon English (frequency #58,625 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,625
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A reduction of some sort in an existing program or service.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cutback · cutback · English

cutback · rank #58,625 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,625
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH curbside

Nearest frequency peer: curbside (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “cutback”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cutback” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cutback
PropertyValue
Headwordcutback
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters7
Frequency rank#58,625
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cutback” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cutbackfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “curbside” (#58,624), “cutty” (#58,626), “cyclin” (#58,627). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cutback” is #58,625. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cutback is uncommon English at frequency #58,625 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for cutback in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from cut back. The correct English form is cutback, spelled C-U-T-B-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A reduction of some sort in an existing program or service.
  2. 2
    Maneuver where the surfer turns and surfs back towards where the wave is breaking.
  3. 3
    Solvent-thinned bitumen used in cold process roofing adhesives, cements and coatings.
  4. 4
    An offensive pass played into a position further from the attacking goal line.
  5. 5
    An inversion feature of a rollercoaster, similar to a corkscrew but with the second half reversed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cutback appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Fifteen more proposals to reverse historical cutbacks in passenger services and the size of the rail network have secured development funding.
  2. The cutback is one of the sport's three fundamental turns, along with the bottom turn and top turn. "It's the purest power move in the book," Australian surf journalist Nick Carroll wrote in 2000.

Etymology

Deverbal from cut back.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cutback"?
"cutback" is spelled C-U-T-B-A-C-K.
What does "cutback" mean?
As a noun, "cutback" means: A reduction of some sort in an existing program or service.
What is the origin of the word "cutback"?
Deverbal from cut back. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cutback", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list