cut both ways
The idiom "cut both ways" often highlights the dual nature of a situation, indicating that an action can lead to both positive and negative outcomes.
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Definition
B2General
(informal)To have both positive and negative effects or consequences.
Example
- The new policy could cut both ways, improving efficiency but reducing employee morale.
- His decision to move abroad cut both ways, offering new opportunities but also distancing him from family.
B2General
(informal)To be relevant or applicable in two different ways, often with both benefits and drawbacks.
Example
- The regulation cuts both ways, affecting consumers and producers alike.
- Technology advancements cut both ways, increasing convenience but also leading to privacy concerns.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "cut both ways":
go both waystwo-edged sworddouble-edged sworddual-edged swordtwo-way streetcut acrossbat for both sidescut throughtwo sides of the same coinback and fortheach waydeep cutcut abovecut like a knifecut a wide swath