cut off

British  

verb

1. to remove by cutting

2. to intercept or interrupt something, esp a telephone conversation

3. to discontinue the supply of

   to cut off the water

4. to bring to an end

5. to deprive of rights; disinherit

   she was cut off without a penny

6. to sever or separate

   she was cut off from her family

7. to occupy a position so as to prevent or obstruct (a retreat or escape)

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noun

1. 1. the act of cutting off; limit or termination

   2. ( as modifier )

      the cutoff point

2. a route or way that is shorter than the usual one; short cut

3. a device to terminate the flow of a fluid in a pipe or duct

4. Also called: offcut. the remnant of metal, plastic, etc, left after parts have been machined or trimmed

5. electronics

   1. the value of voltage, frequency, etc, below or above which an electronic device cannot function efficiently

   2. ( as modifier )

      cutoff voltage

6. a channel cutting across the neck of a meander, which leaves an oxbow lake

7. another name for oxbow

cut off Idioms  

1. Separate from others, isolate, as in The construction debris cut off the workers from the canteen , or The new sect was cut off from the church . [Late 1500s]

2. Stop suddenly, discontinue, as in He quickly cut off the engine , or The drama was cut off by a news flash about tornado warnings . [Late 1500s]

3. Shut off, bar, Their phone was cut off when they didn't pay the bill , or Tom's father threatened to cut off his allowance . [c. 1600]

4. Interrupt the course or passage of, intercept, as in The operator cut us off , or The shortstop cut off the throw to the plate . [Late 1500s]

5. Also, . Disinherit, as in Grandfather cut him off with a shilling . This usage dates from the early 1700s; the purpose of bequeathing one shilling (a small sum) was to indicate that the heir had not been overlooked but was intentionally being disinherited. In America cent was substituted from about 1800 on.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cut off

The U.S. has tried for years to cut off its adversaries from the world’s financial system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Even in the capital Kyiv, electricity is cut off for most of the day, and water supplies are also disrupted.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

This cut off and protected the ridge’s southern tip.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

"If you can be arbitrarily, at any moment, cut off from the American market, then it makes sense to have as much in your back pocket as you can," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Eaten by Confederate soldiers during the war when rail lines were cut off, making food and rations scarce.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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Related Words

• block
• close off
• disconnect
• discontinue
• halt
• isolate
• renounce
• separate
• suspend

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