cut adrift

Idioms  

1. Separated or detached; freed. For example, The dissenters were cut adrift from the denomination. This expression alludes to cutting the rope of a floating vessel so that it drifts without direction or purpose. The figurative use of adrift dates from the late 1600s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cut adrift

It is a disastrous result for Nuno Espirito Santo's men, who are in danger of being cut adrift at the bottom of the Premier League along with Wolves and Burnley.

From Barron's ● Jan. 3, 2026

Newcastle finished 11th in the Premier League, 14 points clear of the relegation zone after being cut adrift when Howe came in.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2025

By the time they do come to terms with the challenge facing them and adjust to the level required they will have been cut adrift.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2023

No one has been cut adrift in the fight for survival with just three points separating Leicester in 14th and bottom-of-the-table Southampton.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 21, 2023

My confused feeling for her had been holding me back, and I had clung to her out of my fear of being forced out on my own, and cut adrift.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes