cast off; casting off; casts off
1
: loose
cast off a hunting dog
2
: unfasten
cast off a boat
3
: to remove (a stitch) from a knitting needle in such a way as to prevent unraveling
1
: to unfasten or untie a boat or a line
2
: to turn one's partner in a square dance and pass around the outside of the set and back
3
: to finish a knitted fabric by casting off all stitches
Examples of cast-off in a Sentence
Verb
once she became rich and didn't need them anymore, she cast off all her old friends like so much junk
Recent Examples on the Web
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Russia tops the chart of cast-off rockets at this altitude, with 512 uncontrolled spacecraft that could ultimately threaten robotic and human explorers across low Earth orbit.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
Americans should see, in the island’s heroes, a reflection of their own rebellious heritage, their liberty-loving patriots who cast off an authoritarian, distant king.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cast-off
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Adjective
Taco Bell also resurrected Crispy Chicken Nuggets, made with all-white meat chicken, zesty jalapeño buttermilk seasoning, and tortilla chip breading, a cast-off from 2021 menus, now available nationwide.
—Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Russia tops the chart of cast-off rockets at this altitude, with 512 uncontrolled spacecraft that could ultimately threaten robotic and human explorers across low Earth orbit.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
Verb
After being cast off by the main franchise a few seasons ago, these reality titans reëmerge stronger than ever.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
Americans should see, in the island’s heroes, a reflection of their own rebellious heritage, their liberty-loving patriots who cast off an authoritarian, distant king.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cast-off
Cite this Entry
“Cast-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cast-off. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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