like a knife through butter
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
With great ease and effectiveness.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org). Figurative class: Simile (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “like a knife through butter” mean?
With great ease and effectiveness.
Is “like a knife through butter” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.