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

The scandal surrounding Oscar Wilde’s final years cut short his life and changed how his work would be perceived.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

South Korea's annual joint military drills with the US will be cut short by six days at the request of Washington, its defence ministry has announced.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Although his rock career was cut short — he didn’t have the chops to play metal songs on bass — it flipped a switch for a young Díaz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

"It was tragic," said Nasir, who had already witnessed the pain his 15-year-old went through when her education was cut short.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

“I believe the good soothsayer was speaking metaphorically. You remember what a metaphor is: when one thing is used to describe another—” But Penelope’s explanation was cut short by a rhythmic sound.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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