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Meaning & use

cut bait

phrase·Advancedinformalfigurative

Last updated

UK/kʌt beɪt/
US/kʌt beɪt/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiominformalfigurative

    To stop trying to do something that is not working, and give up so you can move on or save effort.

    Grammar: Used as a verb phrase with no object: the company decided to cut bait.

    Patterns

    • decide to cut bait
    • time to cut bait

    After three failed launches, the team agreed it was time to cut bait.

    He was losing money on the shop, so he finally cut bait and sold it.

    Investors who cut bait early lost far less than those who waited.

  2. phraseidiomrare

    To stop fishing and put away the bait, usually by cutting the line, in actual fishing.

    Grammar: Literal use is rare; the figurative meaning is far more common.

    Patterns

    • cut bait and go home

    When the fish stopped biting, the old man cut bait and rowed to shore.

    We cut bait around noon because the lake had gone quiet.

    If the line is tangled, you may have to cut bait and start again.

Word forms

third person singularcuts bait
past tensecut bait
-ing formcutting bait

Common combinations

fish or cut bait
The manager told the group to fish or cut bait by Friday.
time to cut bait
With the project far behind, it was time to cut bait.
decide to cut bait
She decided to cut bait on the failing partnership.
cut bait on something
The studio cut bait on the film after poor test screenings.

Synonyms and how they differ

give up
Give up is the plain everyday phrase and can be emotional, while cut bait implies a cool, practical decision to stop a losing effort.
cut your losses
Cut your losses stresses limiting further financial damage, and it is close in meaning but more focused on money.
pull the plug
Pull the plug suggests ending a project or service suddenly, usually as a decision by someone in charge.
bail out
Bail out suggests escaping a difficult situation, whereas cut bait stresses giving up on a particular effort.

Opposites

stick with itpersevere

Word family

bait noun
food used to attract fish or animals
bait verb
to tease or provoke someone
cut verb
to divide with a blade or stop something

Commonly confused: cut bait or cut and run?

cut bait vs cut and run

Cut and run means to flee suddenly, usually to avoid trouble, while cut bait means to give up a losing effort.

Practice

The restaurant had lost money for two years, so the owners finally decided to ______ and close it.

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