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

Offering those options has not been easy in the traditional era of distribution deals, but the rates of cord-cutting have made both programmers and operators more willing to question the usual assumptions. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025

After years of subscribing to a regional sports network on a cable provider, the financial impact of cord-cutting on RSN’s has forced teams to look at new methods to distribute games locally. —Brad Adgate, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025

With cord-cutting and an evolving landscape, the state of regional sports networks across North America is a mess The Orioles have settled with the Nationals over MASN’s broadcast rights, but what comes next will be key for the team's future. —Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2025

Regional sports networks, which have long carried the bulk of baseball broadcasts, are struggling because of cord-cutting. —Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cord-cutting

• abutting
• crosscutting
• rebutting
• butting
• cutting
• gutting
• jutting
• meting
• putting
• rutting
• shutting
• smiting