cutoff

1 of 2

noun

cut·​off ˈkət-ˌȯf How to pronounce cutoff (audio)
1
: the act or action of cutting off
2
a
: the new and relatively short channel formed when a stream cuts through the neck of an oxbow
c
: a channel made to straighten a stream
3
: a device for cutting off
4
a
: something cut off
b
cutoffs plural : shorts originally made from jeans with the legs cut off at the knees or higher
5
: the point, date, or period for a cutoff
cutoff adjective

cut off

2 of 2

verb

cut off; cutting off; cuts off

transitive verb

1
: to bring to an untimely end
Each one of those names reflects a life that was prematurely cut offJohn Kerry
2
: to stop the passage of
cut off communications
3
: shut off, bar
the river cut off their retreat
4
: discontinue, terminate
cut off a subscription
5
: separate, isolate
cut herself off from her family
6
a
: disinherit
threatened to cut him off without a penny
b
: to refuse to serve (someone) more alcohol
The bartender cut them off.
7
a
: to stop the operation of : turn off
cut off the engine
b
: to stop or interrupt while in communication
the operator cut me off

intransitive verb

: to cease operating

Examples of cutoff in a Sentence

Noun a cutoff of the water supply The cutoff for new applications is next Wednesday. Verb the majority party cut off debate and forced a vote on the bill the dog cut off the one sheep that had to be sheared
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
According to the Arizona Lottery's website, the cutoff time for purchasing Powerball tickets is 6:59 p.m. Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 29 Sep. 2024 How to Avoid This: Set reminders for important deadlines, and aim to submit your application well before the cutoff date. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Verb
Largely cut off from the war across Europe, the arrival of a deserted soldier will disrupt the life of the village teacher and his family as the eldest daughter falls for him, leading to an unexpected turn of fate. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024 The packaging date is after the date US sanctions were supposed to cut off supplies to Huawei. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cutoff 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cutoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1565, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cutoff was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near cutoff

Cite this Entry

“Cutoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutoff. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

cutoff

1 of 2 noun
cut·​off ˈkət-ˌȯf How to pronounce cutoff (audio)
1
a
: the action of cutting off
b
: the point or date that cutting off occurs
2
: a device for cutting off
3
plural : shorts made from jeans with the legs cut off short
cutoff adjective

cut off

2 of 2 verb
ˌkət-ˈȯf
1
: to stop the flow or movement of
cut off a supply
2
: isolate
cut off from the world
3
: discontinue sense 2
they cut off relations with us
4
: to stop from talking
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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