corner cutting
Sacrificing quality deliberately
Corner cutting is taking shortcuts that compromise quality or safety, typically to save time, money, or effort.
The image is of someone rounding a corner rather than making a proper turn—faster but sloppier.
Usually carries negative connotations of negligence or dishonesty: The building collapsed due to corner cutting during construction.
Also appears as the verb phrase cut corners.
- shortcutsQuicker methods or paths
- quick and dirtyFast but unpolished
- sloppyCareless and untidy
- rushedDone with excessive speed
- cheapLow in price
shoddy · hasty · negligent · skimping · cheating · cover your tracks · looking the other way · flying under the radar · compromise · budget · bottom line · hack · lazy · careless · botched · half-baked · makeshift · good enough
- bad behaviorcheating, stealing, lying, greed, selfishness
- false economyunderstaffing, quick fixes
- shoddinessslipshod, slapdash, hack job, botch job, botch
- minor offensesminor offense, white lie, petty offense, fib, jaywalking
- defectsdefect, flaw, crack, cracks, defective
- dirty trickscheating, lying, deceit, trickery, deception
corner cuttingthoroughness
Attention to every detail
diligence · meticulousness · attention to detail · due diligence · rigor
corner cuttingintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
ethical practice · rectitude · straight dealing · professional standards · probity
corner cuttingcraftsmanship
Skill in making objects
perfectionism · quality assurance · excellence · gold-plating · best practices
corner, corners, cornered, cornering, cutting, cuttings, cutter, cutters