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

See Examples For:

cut short

CEO Elon Musk then confirmed the mission had been postponed, following an announcement during a livestream of the event that it had been cut short.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

An online fundraiser said the injured passengers were Lopez’s children and described her as “a loving mother whose life was cut short far too soon.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 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

Though no evidence or charges were ever brought against him, the accusation cut short Koch’s Hollywood career.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

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