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

Every family dinner Joti Kaur missed or phone calls she cut short when her mother was still home add to the guilt.

From Los Angeles Times

Those attending include London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who will join the Taylor family to mark a life cut short and reflect on the legacy of Damilola's death.

From BBC

The film is partially based in reality; the Hayes character is inspired by Martin Donnelly, whose promising career was cut short in 1990 by a gruesome crash.

From Los Angeles Times

He also suggested the country could "find a way to return them home" and cut short the 30-year visas they would be granted under the deal.

From Barron's

“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 Literature

Related Words

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