Abstract: To explore the impact of different cutting paths on dust migration and distribution patterns in a fully mechanized coal mining face, the Ⅱ853 fully mechanized coal mining face in Zhuxianzhuang Coal Mine, Suzhou, was selected as the research object. Fluent software was utilized to conduct numerical simulation studies on dust migration and distribution patterns under four different cutting paths in the fully mechanized coal mining face. The results showed that: ① Under the condition of long-pressure and short-suction ventilation, the airflow field in the fully mechanized coal mining face is divided into three characteristic zones along the tunnel direction: the turbulence zone (0~10 m), the transition zone (10~40 m), and the stable zone (40~60 m). A local vortex with a small range and high wind speed forms in the central area within 10 m of the tunnel entrance, while a vortex with a large range and low wind speed forms within 20 m of the suction outlet. ② The spatial distribution and temporal evolution characteristics of dust under different cutting paths exhibit significant differences. For the "center first, then surrounding" cutting path, the dust concentration follows a distribution pattern of "high on the floor and low on the roof," with small fluctuations and good stability in the dust concentration at the height of the breathing zone over time. For the "bottom-up" cutting path, the dust concentration follows a distribution characteristic of "lowest in the breathing zone, with the floor and roof being basically equal," with significant fluctuations and poor stability in the dust concentration at the height of the breathing zone over time. The optimal cutting path for dust control is ranked as follows: 4 # > 3 # > 2 # > 1 #. ③ The degree of matching between the cutting path and the airflow field significantly affects the dust concentration and distribution within 20 m of the tunnel entrance. However, as dust particles move along the tunnel towards the rear, the airflow field gradually stabilizes, and the dust distribution tends to be consistent across different cutting paths.