Cut off meaning
Cut off means to remove a part of something by cutting it. It can also mean to stop the supply of something, like gas, water or money.
cut something off
cut off · cut · cutting
Cut off the crusts if the kids don’t like them.
Cut off meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Remove a part of something by cutting it
cut something off
- Cut off the crusts if the kids don’t like them.
- He cut off his long hair for charity.
- The label was itchy, so I cut it off.
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2
Stop the supply of something, like gas, water or money
cut somebody or something off
- They’ll cut off our electricity if we don’t pay.
- The water was cut off for two hours this morning.
- Her parents cut her off when she left university.
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3
Make a place impossible to reach or leave
cut something off
- The village was cut off by snow for a week.
- The flood cut the farm off from the town.
- Without internet, I feel cut off from the world.
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4
Stop someone speaking, or end a phone call suddenly
cut somebody off
- Sorry, we got cut off. My battery died.
- Please don’t cut me off when I’m talking.
- The host cut off the guest in the middle of his answer.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use cut off in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is cut off separable?
Cut off is separable: cut off the tag or cut the tag off. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: cut it off, cut me off.
It is very often passive: We were cut off, The town was cut off. The adjective cut off (feel cut off) means lonely and far from other people.
Verb tenses for cut off
| Present | I cut off · she cuts off |
|---|---|
| Past | cut off |
| Present perfect | have cut off |
| -ing form | cutting off |
Common mistakes with cut off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Stop cutting off me! Let me finish.
Right: Stop cutting me off! Let me finish.
A pronoun goes between cut and off.
Wrong: Our gas was cut out because of a leak.
Right: Our gas was cut off because of a leak.
For a supply like gas or water, use cut off.
Wrong: We were cutting off in the middle of the call.
Right: We were cut off in the middle of the call.
When the call ends by itself, use the passive: were cut off.
Synonyms and opposites of cut off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- cut outremove a shape from paper or stop eating something
- disconnectthe formal word for stopping a supply or a call
- interruptstart speaking while someone is still speaking
Opposite
- reconnectstart a supply or connection again
- put throughconnect a phone call to someone
Cut off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The storm ___ the island from the mainland for three days.
Cut off a place means make it impossible to reach.
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2Choose the right sentence.
For a call that ends by itself, say get or be cut off.
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3“If you don’t pay, they’ll cut you off.” Who is talking about what?
Cut someone off can mean stop their supply of a service.
More phrasal verbs with cut
5 phrasal verbs start with cut. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Cut off FAQ
Questions people ask about cut off.
What does I got cut off mean?
It means your phone or video call ended suddenly, usually because of a bad signal or battery.
What does cut someone off mean in driving?
It means drive in front of another car too closely and suddenly: A van cut me off on the motorway.
What is a cut-off date?
It is the last day something is allowed, like a deadline: The cut-off date for orders is Friday.
Use cut off in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.