cutting someone off at the knees

A form of cut someone off at the knees — To abruptly thwart someone, shut them down, or put them in their place.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of cut someone off at the knees
Cite this entry
APA

cutting someone off at the knees. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cutting%20someone%20off%20at%20the%20knees

MLA

“cutting someone off at the knees.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cutting%20someone%20off%20at%20the%20knees. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cutting someone off at the knees,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cutting%20someone%20off%20at%20the%20knees.

Source: cutting someone off at the knees on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.