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
Stephen BattaglioAlthough 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
Makeda EasterThe 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
Jan CottinghamExamples of cord-cutting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As cord-cutting has shrunk the pay-TV bundle from 100 million homes about a decade ago to 60 million-plus today, cable and satellite operators have been overhauling their strategies.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
The latest Fubo lineup deals come as the teams behind RSNs continue to eye streaming platform options as the traditional pay TV bundle — where RSNs were bundled into basic cable packages and subscribers paid for the channel — continues to decline amid cord-cutting.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
In a development as predictable as the Yankees overpaying for talent, viewers grew increasingly weary of getting gouged like that and responded with a wave of cord-cutting that has now ensured that OPM is no longer a viable option for RSNs.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
What if cord-cutting accelerates?
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cord-cutting
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
The latest Fubo lineup deals come as the teams behind RSNs continue to eye streaming platform options as the traditional pay TV bundle — where RSNs were bundled into basic cable packages and subscribers paid for the channel — continues to decline amid cord-cutting.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
In a development as predictable as the Yankees overpaying for talent, viewers grew increasingly weary of getting gouged like that and responded with a wave of cord-cutting that has now ensured that OPM is no longer a viable option for RSNs.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
What if cord-cutting accelerates?
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cord-cutting
Cite this Entry
“Cord-cutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cord-cutting. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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