The answers to the clues below will have something in common.

1. Superior
2. A piece of the action
3. Played hooky
4. Snide remark
5. Album track
6. Edited down
7. Kicked off the team
8. "Stop doing that!"
9. Pre-deal action
10.Word-processing convenience
11. What you might do when leaving the room
12. Sacrifice quality to save money on a project
13. Dangerous lane change
14. Skip the small talk
15. Qualify, as for a team or in a competition
16. Minor, but painful injury
17. First experience - as with a type of work
18. Reduce, as on time watching TV
19. Interrupt, as in conversation or dance
20. Change quickly from one subject to another, as on radio or TV, or cross lanes on the freeway to reach an exit

Answers:

1. A cut above the rest
2. Cut
3. Cut school or class
4. Cut
5. Cut
6. Cut
7. Cut
8. "Cut it out!"
9. Cut the cards
10. Cut and paste
11. Cut the lights
12. Cut corners
13. Cut someone off
14. Cut to the chase
15. Make the cut
16. (Paper) cut
17.  Cut your teeth on
18. Cut down
19. Cut in
20. Cut over 

Credit: NY Times Crossword - Dec. 15, 2013
Jeff Chen
A CUT ABOVE THE REST  (Idea and #1-7)