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

With their visit cut short, she became upset.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

Her Courage tour was subsequently cut short by the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, before she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome and forced to cancel all future shows.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

After his father’s baseball career was cut short due to an injury, Russell and his family moved to Florida before eventually settling down in California, where his father pursued an acting career.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Francesca and Michaela’s upcoming hero romance has been in motion for some time and promises to grant queerness a front-and-center visibility that was cut short when Benedict ended his romance with Lady Tilley and Paul.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

As Genie was about to start searching the next question, his Googling was cut short.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

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