Cutting corners

Meaning

To do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often sacrificing quality or safety in the process. It is almost always used as a criticism of work standards.

Critical, cautionary

Used in a sentence

• The house looks nice, but you can tell they were cutting corners on the plumbing.
• Do not start cutting corners now; we need this project to be perfect.
• The restaurant is cutting corners by using cheaper ingredients, and you can taste it.