close off

phrasal verb

closed off; closing off; closes off

: to not allow (something) to be used for a period of time : close

The city closed off the beach to tourists.

Half of the museum was closed off while they made the changes.

—sometimes used figuratively

He closes himself off to new experiences.

Examples of close off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If an event is organized to happen at night, the main portion of the library can be closed off while the space remains open. —Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Crews need to close off the area to get the year-long rejuvenation work done so the existing buoy will be protectively boxed off while seawall construction, road work and revamping of the plaza proceeds. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025

In December, the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime closed off crucial military supply routes. —Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025

Seal cracks and gaps near windows, decks, and eaves, and fill holes in the yard to close off potential entry points. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for close off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff