We can cut dried flowers off a plant so that new ones will grow, we can cut the tag off a new coat, and we can cut the nose off to spite the face (idiom) … And there’s a lot of other things people can cut off. This is a phrasal verb with numerous meanings. Here are ten.
1) cut off = to remove with scissors or a knife.
→ I need to cut the tags off my new shirts.
→ He cut the legs off his blue jeans.
2) cutoffs = (n.) blue jeans with the legs cut off to make short pants.
→ Joe wore a pair of cutoffs to the beach.
3) cut off = to be isolated. Often passive voice.
→ The town was cut off by the flooding. (The flooding cut the town off.)
→ Janet wanted to cut herself off from the world.
→ Working from home, many people feel cut off.
4) cut off = to stop the supply of something.
→ The generals were seeking ways to cut off the enemy’s supplies.
→ We’ll have our power cut off if we don’t pay the bill.
5) (get) cut off = to have a telephone call disconnected. Often passive voice.
→ (on the phone) I suddenly can’t hear her. I think we got cut off.
→ Would you like to give me your phone number so I can call you back if we get cut off?
6) cut off = to interrupt.
→ I tried to explain, but the man cut me off with the wave of a hand and walked away.
→ Her words were cut off by a loud explosion nearby.
7) cut off = to bring to an early end or death.
→ The victim was cut off in the prime of his life.
8) cut off = to end financial help; to disinherit.
→ Banks are cutting off funding to companies in this industry.
→ His father threatened to cut him off without a penny.
9) (get) cut off = to have another car suddenly drive (cut) into your lane in front of you. Often passive voice.
→ I got cut off.
→ A truck cut us off just before the freeway exit.
10) cutoff = the point, date, or time for the ending of something.
→ The cutoff point for applying to the university is April 5.
→ Is there a cutoff point?
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