cutoff

American  

[kuht-awf, -of] / ˈkʌtˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

• cutoffs
  plural

1. an act or instance of cutting off.

2. something that cuts off.

3. a road, passage, etc., that leaves another, usually providing a shortcut.

   Let's take the cutoff to Baltimore.

4. a new and shorter channel formed in a river by the water cutting across a bend in its course.

5. a point, time, or stage serving as the limit beyond which something is no longer effective, applicable, or possible.

6. cutoffs, Also cut-offs shorts made by cutting the legs off a pair of trousers, especially jeans, above the knees and often leaving the cut edges ragged.

7. Accounting. a selected point at which records are considered complete for the purpose of settling accounts, taking inventory, etc.

8. Baseball. an infielder's interception of a ball thrown from the outfield in order to relay it to home plate or keep a base runner from advancing.

9. Machinery. arrest of the steam moving the pistons of an engine, usually occurring before the completion of a stroke.

10. Electronics. (in a vacuum tube) the minimum grid potential preventing an anode current.

11. Rocketry. the termination of propulsion, either by shutting off the propellant flow or by stopping the combustion of the propellant.

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adjective

1. being or constituting the limit or ending.

   a cutoff date for making changes.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cutoffs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cutoff

First recorded in 1735–45; noun use of verb phrase cut off

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cutoff cutoffs

Europe is now more exposed to international competition for LNG cargoes than to a direct supply cutoff.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

A cutoff low was also behind the late August 2026 storm, but this event developed under more unusual circumstances.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

With the projected cutoff expected to exceed £30,000 after all 34 events, and only six events remaining, Littler might travel to Den Bosch next month to boost his hopes of reaching the finals.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

What has been especially difficult is that we don’t really know exactly what was said or done that resulted in what appears to be a complete cutoff in communication.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

And how did my family make the cutoff?

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

But the key is that trade cutoffs, unlike sanctions, are felt immediately.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Wednesday, causing widespread electrical blackouts and cutoffs of gas supplies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

TikTok has implemented 60-minute daily screen time limits for users under 18 and notification cutoffs based on age groups.

From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026

The fire burned more than 2,600 acres and it caused widespread evacuations and power cutoffs, prompting Van Dyke to flee his home, Variety reported.

From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2024

The faded cutoffs crossed the line a full three feet ahead of him.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson