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Business English vocabulary · Working Life

Cut your teeth

Meaning in business english, with examples

idiomAdvanced term

In business english, cut your teeth means: To gain early practical experience in a particular kind of work.

In Turkish: ilk mesleki deneyimini kazanmak

How it is used

Usually followed by on for tasks or in for a field. It refers to formative experience, not literal teeth or every later training course.

Example sentences

  1. You can cut your teeth on smaller client projects before leading a national launch.

    Smaller assignments provide early experience for greater responsibility.

  2. If you cut your teeth in a busy service centre, you quickly learn to handle unexpected questions.

    An early work environment shapes practical communication skills.

Common collocations

  • cut your teeth on a project
  • cut your teeth in sales
  • learning curveThe rate at which someone learns a new skill, job or system; a steep learning curve means there is a lot to learn in a short time.
  • colleagueA person you work with, especially someone in the same company or the same profession as you.

More terms: Working Life

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