Meanings
present singular third person cuts off · participle present cutting off
- transitiveTo isolate or remove from contact.
The entranced spectator was cut off from reality as long as the adventure lasted; it was as if he lived a dream yet believed he was awake.
1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, page 371 more example
[…] the master controller handle contains a device which automatically applies the brakes and cuts off all power to the electric motors in the event of an emergency; […]
1958 June 28, “First Battery Railcars on B.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 420 - transitiveTo stop the provision or supply of something, e.g. power, water.
"I suppose they lit the gas, or whatever it is there, as well?" "It is gas, but they could not light it because it was cut off at the meter. We always cut it off when a flat becomes vacant."
1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC1 more example
The first English Electric units were not fitted with an anti-slip brake, but a hurried consultation of the wiring diagram showed that it should be possible to hold in the low-voltage anti-slip relay for long enough to let speed build up without cutting off the motor current.
1962 April, R. K. Evans, “The Acceptance Testing of Diesel Locomotives”, in Modern Railways, page 268 - transitiveTo exclude (something) from the field of view.
Half of his head has been cut off by the edge of the photo.
- transitiveTo stop providing funds or something else to (someone).
You're drunk, Jerry, I'm cutting you off.
1 more example
His parents cut him off to encourage him to find a job.
- transitiveTo interrupt (someone speaking).
That dingbat cut me off as I was about to conclude my thesis.
- Southern UStransitiveTo turn off or switch off (an electrical device).
Cut off the lamp so I can get some sleep.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo swerve in front of (another car) while driving.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Ancient Greek ἀπολαμβάνω
- ἀπολαμβάνω (apolambánō)to isolate or remove from contact
Arabic قَطَعَ
- قَطَعَ (qaṭaʕa)to remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
Chinese Mandarin 切下, 割下
- 切下 (qièxià)to remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- 割下 (gēxià)to remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- 隔斷 /隔断 (géduàn)to isolate or remove from contact
Esperanto fortranĉi
- fortranĉito remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
Finnish katkaista, eristää
- katkaistato remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- eristääto isolate or remove from contact
- lopettaa tukito stop providing funds to (someone)
- katkaistato end abruptly
- keskeyttääto interrupt someone talking
- kiilatato swerve in front of another car while driving
- sammuttaato turn off an electrical device
- sulkeato turn off an electrical device
French tailler, couper
- taillerto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- couperto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- trancherto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- couperto isolate or remove from contact
- couperto end abruptly
- couper la paroleto interrupt someone talking
- faire une queue de poissonto swerve in front of another car while driving
- couper la routeto swerve in front of another car while driving
German abschneiden, abschneiden
- abschneidento remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- abschneidento isolate or remove from contact
- abbrechento end abruptly
- unterbrechento end abruptly
- abgeschnitten werdento end abruptly
- unterbrechento interrupt someone talking
- jmdm. ins Wort fallento interrupt someone talking
- jmdm. das Wort abschneidento interrupt someone talking
- schneidento swerve in front of another car while driving
- ausschaltento turn off an electrical device
- löschento turn off an electrical device
- ausmachento turn off an electrical device
Hungarian levág, bevág
- levágto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- bevágto swerve in front of another car while driving
Indonesian putus, potong
- putusto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- potongto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
Irish scoith
- scoithto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
Japanese 断つ, 割り込む
- 断つ (tatsu)to remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- 割り込む (warikomu)to swerve in front of another car while driving
Latin praecīdō, amputō
- praecīdōto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- amputōto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- dēsecōto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
Polish odcinać, odciąć
- odcinaćto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- odciąćto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- odcinaćto isolate or remove from contact
- odciąćto isolate or remove from contact
- rozłączaćto end abruptly
- rozłączyćto end abruptly
- przerwaćto interrupt someone talking
- przerywaćto interrupt someone talking
Portuguese recortar, cortar
- recortarto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- cortarto isolate or remove from contact
- cortarto end abruptly
- cortarto interrupt someone talking
- cortarto swerve in front of another car while driving
Russian отреза́ть, отре́зать
- отреза́ть (otrezátʹ)to remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- отре́зать (otrézatʹ)to remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- отреза́ть (otrezátʹ)to isolate or remove from contact
- отре́зать (otrézatʹ)to isolate or remove from contact
- изоли́ровать (izolírovatʹ)to isolate or remove from contact
- перебива́ть (perebivátʹ)to interrupt someone talking
- переби́ть (perebítʹ)to interrupt someone talking
- прерыва́ть (preryvátʹ)to interrupt someone talking
- прерва́ть (prervátʹ)to interrupt someone talking
- подреза́ть (podrezátʹ)to swerve in front of another car while driving
- подре́зать (podrézatʹ)to swerve in front of another car while driving
- отключить (otključitʹ)to turn off an electrical device
Spanish cortar, corchar
- cortarto end abruptly
- corcharto swerve in front of another car while driving
- meterseto swerve in front of another car while driving
- cerrarto swerve in front of another car while driving
- atravesarseto swerve in front of another car while driving
Swedish skära av, avskära
- skära avto remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- avskärato remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- kapato remove via cutting — see also cut, sever, truncate, crop
- brytato isolate or remove from contact
- skära avto isolate or remove from contact
- avbrytato isolate or remove from contact
- avskärato isolate or remove from contact
- bortkopplato isolate or remove from contact
- urkopplato isolate or remove from contact
- avbrytato end abruptly
- avbrytato interrupt someone talking
- prejato swerve in front of another car while driving
Turkish bölmek, kesmek
- bölmekto interrupt someone talking
- kesmekto interrupt someone talking
- sözünü kesmekto interrupt someone talking
- gitmekto turn off an electrical device
- kesilmekto turn off an electrical device
Ukrainian перебити
- перебити (perebyty)to interrupt someone talking
Cite this entry
cut off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20off
“cut off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20off. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cut off,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20off.
Source: cut off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.