atajar

to cut short

verb ah-tah-HAHR Rare

Also means

to take a shortcut

Usage Note

Atajar has a spatial sense — to intercept or take a shortcut across terrain — and a figurative one: to nip something in the bud or cut a problem short (atajar el problema antes de que crezca). In journalism and politics it often describes urgent intervention to stop a crisis. The noun atajo (shortcut) shares the same root.

Examples

"Tomamos un camino para atajar la distancia."

Natural Translation

We took a path to cut the distance short.

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