"You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails"

I'm assuming it's a pretty common occurrence that people fudge this so DMs can still roll in secret and it doesn't slow the game down. What fudge do you use?

Does it require fudging? As long as your DM mentions that a creature is going to attack, and who the target is, before rolling in secret, you should have the opportunity to jump in and say "I use Cutting Words!".

I tend to prioritise it for any attack declared against party members that are badly hurt, or myself, in the hopes of forcing an enemy to miss, and very occasionally use it to reduce the damage for an area effect hitting multiple party members (including myself, my bard character is a selfish ass).

 I've never really found I had to fudge it any way; I've regularly forgotten exactly how it works, and always forget it applies to ability checks as well and kick myself when an enemy escapes or initiates a grapple and I could have prevented it.

I'm reading the RAW as though a player makes the choice over whether to use cutting words after seeing the DMs dice roll, but before the DM informs them if the roll was a success or failure.

So to my mind your fudge is that you make the choice without seeing the roll (which is a bit weaker than RAW). The alternative fudge would be you make the choice after finding out the result (which is a bit stronger than RAW).

Just wondered which was the more common fudge

I think RAW there's no requirement that the player actually sees the roll, they only need to know that a roll is happening. You don't normally see the DM's rolls; though there is a possible case where if an ally turns hostile for any reason (or you just want to mess with their rolls, since the target doesn't need to be an enemy) then you might see their roll before declaring it.

OK, makes sense. -thanks!

When the DM looks at you and asks, "Does an 18 hit you?"