cut off 1 of 2

verb

Definition of cut offnext
1
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the majority party cut off debate and forced a vote on the bill

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2
as in to separate
to set or keep apart from others the dog cut off the one sheep that had to be sheared

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cutoff

2 of 2

noun

ˈkət-ˌȯf How to pronounce cutoff (audio)
as in cessation
the stopping of a process or activity with a cutoff for funding the war, military operations soon ground to a halt

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cut off
Verb
Dead sheep and bears strewn along the pavement have disturbed local residents for years, but ecologists fear the road may also cause a much slower and quieter die-off, with mountain lions inbreeding as they are cut off from other lions. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 High tides will result in flooding along coastal trails, cut off access to some low-lying beaches and coastal areas, and bring water and waves farther up the beach than typical. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
When his set ran long, her performance went past the venue’s midnight cutoff. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026 Schoenfeld said the heat wave — which is being driven by high pressure in Southern California and a lack of wind — does not have a clear cutoff. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cut off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cut off
  1. stop
  2. separate
  3. cessation
  4. cease
  5. isolate
  6. ending
  7. end
  8. halt
Verb
  • The city’s public works team and its Parks, Recreation and Marine bureau were working to secure it, putting up sandbags and rebuilding the berm to stop water intrusion.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Kodiak says its autonomous system is designed to identify emergency vehicles, stopped vehicles, lane closures and accident scenes.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stop
Verb
  • The mediator does an intense workout taking the offers and counteroffers between the parties, up and down an elegant staircase that separates the teams.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This allows the researchers to produce hydrogen and epoxide without a membrane separating the electrodes.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of separate
Noun
  • But these trends of a shift from vaping to smoking as a cessation tool are less about changes in smoking prevalence, and more about a public health messaging failure that could have lasting consequences, experts warn.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
  • That initial agreement included provisions on sanctions relief; the release of frozen assets; and a cessation of military operations, including in Lebanon.
    — Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of cessation
Verb
  • Calvin lives in Snook’s Arm, a community on the verge of ceasing to exist.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Unfortunately, there are those on America’s political left who would also be satisfied if the State of Israel ceased to exist.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of cease
Verb
  • One of the other things that Claude noticed was that these array of associated reverse transcriptases seem to be isolated to jumbo phages, which have very large genomes for bacteriophage.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Adapted from Hsiao Li-hung’s novel, the film follows Thik-hông (Lu), an orphan who marries into a wealthy family, is widowed young and sees her son sent away to Japan, leaving her isolated behind the walls of the family estate.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of isolate
Noun
  • Related Stories Below, Variety has gathered the five biggest differences between the book and the film, from one jaw-dropping scene the movie adds to the much darker ending of the book.
    — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That material teased Beyond’s continuation of Across the Spider-Verse’s ending.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of ending
Verb
  • Dodgers lefty Tanner Scott came to the rescue and struck out Bauers and Yelich to end the inning (and Garrett Mitchell to kick off the seventh).
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The race starts and ends at The Momentary in Bentonville and two of the three course lengths roll through McDonald County in Missouri.
    — Glory Reitz, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of end
Noun
  • Ideally, a reciprocal halt in long-range air and missile attacks could then be replicated across other sectors—maritime, commercial, and transportation—thus forming the basis of a broader aerial cease-fire.
    — Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
  • President Iliana Yotova called for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Black Sea and a moratorium on drone attacks against commercial and civilian infrastructure, following the latest drone attacks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of halt

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Cite this Entry

“Cut off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cut%20off. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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