Innocent and sweet, the word cut right through her heart.

The old woman's first words had cut too close.

But her words cut straight to the heart of who and what he was.

If only he knew how deep his words cut.

She would rather not talk about it at all, because every word cuts her like a razor.

She had turned and already taken several steps down the dark corridor when the words cut her short.

Paul's voice had been pitched low, but he saw each word cut into her.

He had never known that words could cut so deeply.

The words cut him, but he could deal with that.

A few words cut or added can radically change that shape.