cord-cutting

noun

cord-cut·​ting ˈkȯrd-ˌkə-tiŋ 

variants or less commonly cord cutting

: the act or process of canceling a subscription to cable television or to a landline telephone service

As cable news begins to feel the squeeze from cord-cutting, arch-rivals Fox News and CNN are stepping up efforts to adapt to the trend that poses a long-term threat to their businesses.

—Stephen Battaglio

Although broadband rates don't appear to be rising substantially as a whole, there's a chance that cord cutting could someday lead providers to increase monthly Internet bills to mitigate the loss of cable customers, according to a MoffettNathanson report.

—Makeda Easter

The majority of Americans … now rely solely on wireless telephones. That watershed cord-cutting moment was reached in the last half of 2016, according to the federal government.

—Jan Cottingham

Examples of cord-cutting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But it’s widely expected the spinoff company will need to find a dance partner to make it through the world of cord-cutting. —Matt Egan, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024

Rampant cord-cutting has roiled the television business and linear cable channels — once a mighty draw for couch-potato viewing — have become endangered species. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024

While regulators thwarted previous attempts at a combination on anti-competitive grounds, the ravages of cord-cutting have left both players smaller and less dominant, thereby making approval this time arguably more likely. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024

Cable television — while facing heavy viewership declines due to cord-cutting — is still mostly very profitable. —Sara Fischer, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above