cutoff

American  

[kuht-awf, -of] / ˈkʌtˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

• cutoffs
  plural

1. an act or instance of cutting off.

2. something that cuts off.

3. a road, passage, etc., that leaves another, usually providing a shortcut.

   Let's take the cutoff to Baltimore.

4. a new and shorter channel formed in a river by the water cutting across a bend in its course.

5. a point, time, or stage serving as the limit beyond which something is no longer effective, applicable, or possible.

6. cutoffs, Also cut-offs shorts made by cutting the legs off a pair of trousers, especially jeans, above the knees and often leaving the cut edges ragged.

7. Accounting. a selected point at which records are considered complete for the purpose of settling accounts, taking inventory, etc.

8. Baseball. an infielder's interception of a ball thrown from the outfield in order to relay it to home plate or keep a base runner from advancing.

9. Machinery. arrest of the steam moving the pistons of an engine, usually occurring before the completion of a stroke.

10. Electronics. (in a vacuum tube) the minimum grid potential preventing an anode current.

11. Rocketry. the termination of propulsion, either by shutting off the propellant flow or by stopping the combustion of the propellant.

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adjective

1. being or constituting the limit or ending.

   a cutoff date for making changes.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cutoffs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of cutoff

First recorded in 1735–45; noun use of verb phrase cut off

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cutoff cutoffs

Schoenfeld said the heat wave — which is being driven by high pressure in Southern California and a lack of wind — does not have a clear cutoff.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Therapists and “estrangement coaches” have produced a new wave of paid offerings, from books and podcasts to support groups and Zoom consultations, that purport to help both parents and adult children navigate a cutoff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

Europe is now more exposed to international competition for LNG cargoes than to a direct supply cutoff.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

A cutoff low was also behind the late August 2026 storm, but this event developed under more unusual circumstances.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

Today the cutoff date for international junior soccer is January 1.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

In recent years, the number of users sharing personal stories of how cutoffs have improved their mental health has skyrocketed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

TikTok has implemented 60-minute daily screen time limits for users under 18 and notification cutoffs based on age groups.

From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026

His denim cutoffs, which crept up in length over the years, were known as Bobby Shorts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2026

The fire burned more than 2,600 acres and it caused widespread evacuations and power cutoffs, prompting Van Dyke to flee his home, Variety reported.

From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2024

His weather-beaten cutoffs had been bleached gray by the sun, and a dirty red bandanna was knotted around his right wrist.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

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