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Business idiomsidiom (verb phrase) · /kʌt ðə kɔːrd/

cut the cord

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In simple English

To end your dependence on something, typically outdated technology or an external vendor. It means making a clean break and moving forward with a new approach.

Someone heard this in a meeting about replacing old technology and wants to know what it means.

At a glanceCEFR B2–C1
Commonness
Versatility
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenSpoken
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
Region

Say it like this

✓It's time to cut the cord with that legacy database.
✓We finally cut the cord with our old hosting provider last quarter.
✓I think we should cut the cord and just build it ourselves.
✓They're ready to cut the cord with the monolith.

Real examples

Standup

"I'm working on the migration plan so we can cut the cord with the old auth system by next sprint."

Slack message

"Are we really ready to cut the cord with AWS? We've been with them for five years."

GitHub PR

"This PR removes all dependencies on the deprecated API—time to cut the cord."

Jira ticket

"Task: Cut the cord with legacy payment gateway and integrate Stripe."

Retrospective

"We should have cut the cord with that vendor sooner—it was slowing us down."

Sprint planning

"This sprint, let's prioritize cutting the cord with the old CMS."

Pair programming

"If we cut the cord with this library, we'll need to rewrite the validation logic."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Avoid using "cut the cord" when talking about ending relationships with people—it can sound harsh. Use "part ways with" instead.

✕We need to cut the cord the old system.
✓We need to cut the cord with the old system.— The idiom requires 'with' to show what you're disconnecting from.
✕Let's cut the cord our vendor relationship.
✓Let's cut the cord with our vendor relationship.— Always use 'cut the cord with' + the thing you're leaving behind.
✕I will cut the cord to finish this task.
✓I will finish this task quickly.— 'Cut the cord' is about ending dependence, not about speed or completing work.

Other forms

base form

cut the cord

"We need to cut the cord with this vendor."

past tense

cut the cord

"We cut the cord with the legacy system last month."

present participle

cutting the cord

"We're cutting the cord with our old hosting provider."

noun phrase

cord-cutting

"The cord-cutting process took three sprints."

Often used with

cut the cord withStandard preposition—always use 'with' before the thing you're leaving
ready to cut the cordCommon way to say the team is prepared to make the change
finally cut the cordImplies the change was overdue
time to cut the cordSuggests the moment has arrived to make the break
cut the cord and migrateOften paired with migration to a new system

Similar words

break away fromSimilar meaning, slightly more formal
move away fromSofter, more gradual—doesn't imply a clean break
sunsetTech term for retiring a system—more about the old thing ending than the break itself
phase outImplies a gradual process rather than a clean cut
ditchMore casual and direct—can sound dismissive

Opposites

depend onstick withcontinue usingmaintain ties withstay connected to

More words

sunsetlegacy systemmigratedeprecatephase outvendor lock-intechnical debt

Questions

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