A portion of the house collapsed because the contractor _______.

The blank needs an idiom meaning to do something poorly or cheaply to save money.

Option 1 -> short-changed places -> not a standard idiom; doesn't fit the context of poor construction work.

Option 2 -> cut corners -> means to do something poorly or take shortcuts to save time/money, fitting perfectly with poor construction.

Option 3 -> bit the bullet -> means to face something difficult courageously, unrelated to poor workmanship.

Option 4 -> made a fortune -> means to earn a lot of money, opposite of what would cause structural problems.

When contractors cut corners, they're taking shortcuts or using cheaper methods to save money, often at the expense of quality. It's like trying to build a circle but making it a square instead because it's easier - you might save time and money, but the end result suffers significantly.