cut short

Idioms  

1. Abbreviate, stop abruptly, as in The thunderstorm cut short our picnic, or She cut her short, saying she'd already heard the story of their breakup. Shakespeare used this term to mean “put a sudden end to someone's life”: “Rather than bloody war shall cut them short” (2 Henry VI, 4:4), a less common usage today. The broader usage dates from the mid-1600s.

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Example Sentences

Tuchel's playing career was cut short by injury.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Aidan McAllister, from Buckhaven in Fife, was told last year that his life would be cut short by a brain tumour.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

When the trip was cut short due to bad weather, they took their daughters to visit a friend whose family had a small cabin on Treasure Island, also known as Reach Island.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

At the time, the surge proved temporary, ultimately cut short by rising inflation and interest rates.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Her hair was cut short in a little bush, almost perfectly round, and she stood at the microphone holding a piece of paper, shaking with nerves.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• abort
• break off
• curtail
• halt
• hinder
• interrupt
• postpone
• quit
• shorten
• terminate