cutting-edge 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cutting-edgenext
as in advanced
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques his insistent tracking shots and rapid-fire pacing earned him a reputation as a cutting-edge filmmaker

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cutting edge

2 of 2

noun

1
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts an urban enclave that has an established reputation for being hospitable to artists who are part of the cutting edge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forefront
the leading or most important part of a movement a company that has always been on the cutting edge of the new electronic media

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cutting-edge
Adjective
Rather than relying on cutting-edge manufacturing nodes, TSUs are made to run on mature semiconductor processes. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026 The $170 million contract will bring a data center, government digitalization platform and a cutting-edge border surveillance system to this West African country. — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Noun
It can’t be said enough that what’s seen as cutting edge today in technology rarely remains that way. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Los Angeles is on the cutting edge for an aesthetic pioneered by a handful of micro-bakeries led by expert pastry chefs with an eye for beauty. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cutting-edge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting-edge
  1. advanced
  2. vanguard
  3. forefront
  4. progressive
  5. underground
  6. leading edge
  7. pioneering
  8. pioneer
Adjective
  • To stop this, Canadian authorities have partnered with the ATF to use advanced tracing technology in hopes of generating leads, authorities said.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The author warns that humanity's insistence on supremacy could lead to conflict with advanced AI, even provoking existential threats.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of advanced
Noun
  • Galliano represents the last of a vanguard of designers who developed cults of personalities.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The great technological leaps in American history have often featured influential industrialists who step forward as vanguards, leading the way to a better tomorrow while emerging as major players in extreme endeavors.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of vanguard
Noun
  • Making sure the right things are at the forefront of people's mind.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The British former stunt coordinator has been at the forefront of intimacy coordinators becoming an industry norm for more than a decade now.
    — Megan Vick, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of forefront
Adjective
  • His distribution was decent, too, completing eight progressive passes per game, placing him 11th among that same group.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Nina Smith, a former Buttigieg adviser who now works closely with progressive causes, disagreed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of progressive
Noun
  • Born William Wainwright in north London in 1956, Orbit left school at 16 and immersed himself in the city’s post-punk underground.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Head underground The Bee’s diversions reporter Camila Pedrosa recently ventured deep into the earth, twice, to explore Black Chasm Cavern in Amador County, as well as California Cavern in Calaveras County.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of underground
Noun
  • Wind speeds of 60 to 70 mph will be possible on the leading edge of any storms rolling through.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • To achieve this, the wings need a very high aspect ratio, which is, to put it very simply, the ratio between a wing's span and its average width from its leading edge to its trailing edge.
    — David Szondy August 04, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of leading edge
Adjective
  • Fratini’s father was the founder of the pioneering Italian denim brand Rifle in Tuscany.
    — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Raimi, the pioneering horror maestro behind Evil Dead as well as the original Spider-Man trilogy, is repped by CAA.
    — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
Definition of pioneering
Noun
  • Summary Haley and Hanna Cavinder, pioneers of NIL, have successfully transitioned from influencers to founders, launching their own wellness brand, Go Two, and co-founding a tequila brand, Azucar.
    — Kristi Dosh, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The Alila Ventana Big Sur resort is 51 years old, while the Post Ranch Inn sits on the former homestead of the Post pioneer family who settled in the region in the 1860s.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of pioneer

Browse Nearby Words

cutting (down)
cutting-edge
cutting edge
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Cite this Entry

“Cutting-edge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting-edge. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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