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

Proponents of the trend hold that advising patients to consider a cutoff from a close relative or spouse they deem toxic or unsupportive can protect their mental health and allow for emotional growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The challenge is that there is no simple age cutoff.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

A competing interpretation has emerged of the preliminary report's most puzzling detail: the brief movement of both fuel-control switches to "cutoff" shortly after take-off.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

The preliminary report, released on July 12, indicated External link that two fuel cutoff switches transitioned from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” according to the flight data recorder.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

We were silently met by a tall well-tanned man wearing cutoff jeans and a T-shirt.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

In recent years, the number of users sharing personal stories of how cutoffs have improved their mental health has skyrocketed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 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

His denim cutoffs, which crept up in length over the years, were known as Bobby Shorts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 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

Leslie was still dressed in the faded cutoffs and the blue undershirt.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson