---
name: "cut"
section: "1"
platform: "macos"
package: "text_cmds"
version: "199"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cut"
---

# cut(1)

cut out selected portions of each line of a file

## NAME

**cut** – cut out selected portions of each line of a file

## SYNOPSIS

**cut** **-b** *list* \[**-n**\] \[*file ...*\]

**cut** **-c** *list* \[*file ...*\]

**cut** **-f** *list* \[**-w** \| **-d** *delim*\] \[**-s**\] \[*file ...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **cut** utility cuts out selected portions of each line (as specified by *list*) from each *file* and writes them to the standard output. If no *file* arguments are specified, or a file argument is a single dash (‘**-**’), **cut** reads from the standard input. The items specified by *list* can be in terms of column position or in terms of fields delimited by a special character. Column and field numbering start from 1.

The *list* option argument is a comma or whitespace separated set of numbers and/or number ranges. Number ranges consist of a number, a dash (‘-’), and a second number and select the columns or fields from the first number to the second, inclusive. Numbers or number ranges may be preceded by a dash, which selects all columns or fields from 1 to the last number. Numbers or number ranges may be followed by a dash, which selects all columns or fields from the last number to the end of the line. Numbers and number ranges may be repeated, overlapping, and in any order. If a field or column is specified multiple times, it will appear only once in the output. It is not an error to select columns or fields not present in the input line.

The options are as follows:

- **-b** *list*

  The *list* specifies byte positions.

- **-c** *list*

  The *list* specifies character positions.

- **-d** *delim*

  Use *delim* as the field delimiter character instead of the tab character.

- **-f** *list*

  The *list* specifies fields, separated in the input by the field delimiter character (see the **-d** option). Output fields are separated by a single occurrence of the field delimiter character.

- **-n**

  Do not split multi-byte characters. Characters will only be output if at least one byte is selected, and, after a prefix of zero or more unselected bytes, the rest of the bytes that form the character are selected.

- **-s**

  Suppress lines with no field delimiter characters. Unless specified, lines with no delimiters are passed through unmodified.

- **-w**

  Use whitespace (spaces and tabs) as the delimiter. Consecutive spaces and tabs count as one single field separator.

## ENVIRONMENT

The LANG, LC\_ALL and LC\_CTYPE environment variables affect the execution of **cut** as described in [environ(7)](/environ/7.md).

## EXIT STATUS

The **cut** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs.

## EXAMPLES

Extract users' login names and shells from the system [passwd(5)](/passwd/5.md) file as “name:shell” pairs:

```
cut -d : -f 1,7 /etc/passwd
```

Show the names and login times of the currently logged in users:

```
who | cut -c 1-16,26-38
```

## SEE ALSO

[colrm(1)](/colrm/1.md), [paste(1)](/paste/1.md)

## STANDARDS

The **cut** utility conforms to IEEE Std 1003.2-1992 (“POSIX.2”).

The **-w** flag is an extension to the specification.

## HISTORY

A **cut** command appeared in AT&T System III UNIX.