1
as in ending
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the majority party cut off debate and forced a vote on the bill
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in separating
to set or keep apart from others
the dog cut off the one sheep that had to be sheared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cutting off
The war has inflicted damage on the UAE’s energy infrastructure and blocked oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off a critical stream of dollar income.
—
Maria Paula Mijares Torres, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
The disease is caused by a tiny wormlike nematode that burrows into buds and leaves, cutting off photosynthesis.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
If this is the case, then cutting off the water supply to this waterfall — to fill a dam or for irrigation, which happens — could harm the fish.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 5 Apr. 2026
Retail connections faded as foot traffic disappeared, cutting off communication with buyers.
—J.m. Banks
march 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The United Arab Emirates is considering cutting off Iranian access to billions of dollars held in the Gulf state, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
And people very quickly begin to think about cutting off electricity, cutting off water, damage to their cities.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
Timing Tips For Trimming And Pruning Spring-flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned immediately after blooming to encourage more blooms for reblooming plants or to avoid cutting off buds that have set for next year’s blooms.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
In Tennessee, Republican leaders have worked with the White House to craft a package of bills aimed at cutting off any state spending on unauthorized residents, in part by creating immigration checks for public school children.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026
Maria Paula Mijares Torres, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
The disease is caused by a tiny wormlike nematode that burrows into buds and leaves, cutting off photosynthesis.
—Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
If this is the case, then cutting off the water supply to this waterfall — to fill a dam or for irrigation, which happens — could harm the fish.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 5 Apr. 2026
Retail connections faded as foot traffic disappeared, cutting off communication with buyers.
—J.m. Banks
march 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The United Arab Emirates is considering cutting off Iranian access to billions of dollars held in the Gulf state, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
And people very quickly begin to think about cutting off electricity, cutting off water, damage to their cities.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
Timing Tips For Trimming And Pruning Spring-flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned immediately after blooming to encourage more blooms for reblooming plants or to avoid cutting off buds that have set for next year’s blooms.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
In Tennessee, Republican leaders have worked with the White House to craft a package of bills aimed at cutting off any state spending on unauthorized residents, in part by creating immigration checks for public school children.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cutting off
Verb
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The Dayton Peace Accords spring to mind, named for the city that hosted talks ending the three years of bloodletting and civil war in Bosnia in the early 1990.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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After vacating the conviction, the judge took the additional step of dismissing the murder charge against Martinez, ending the criminal case against him entirely.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Removing barriers The new facility seeks to provide more dignity for clients and remove barriers that keep victims from separating themselves from harmful environments, Mortensen said.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
19 Apr. 2026
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A lot of people have a hard time separating the actor from the character.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Let’s imagine—in a case of truly terrible architectural planning—that there is only one extremely slow elevator, stopping at each floor and taking one minute per floor.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
21 Apr. 2026
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Schools brought in counselors for the victims’ young classmates and community leaders called for a citywide reckoning on stopping domestic violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Their experience there can be isolating, since they must be housed separately from adult women — and programming is limited.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip did reunite during the COVID-19 pandemic, isolating together.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With this version of LIV Golf potentially ceasing to exist, and a potential player path back onto the PGA Tour a complete unknown, players could be scrambling to find their footing in the professional golf world for at least a brief period of time.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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With the conflict still ongoing and the Central cluster continuing to lose members, the question now is whether the larger group can survive at all — or whether this lopsided war will end with one side simply ceasing to exist.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Spain and Ireland had put the issue of halting the agreement back on the table at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.—
April 21,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Gross said halting the disinfection process was in direct conflict with instructions from the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and LivaNova.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Deep in the woods, a tree had fallen over a power line, blocking the road out of the canyon and effectively shutting off all of the electricity in the immediate area.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
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Companies could also consider shutting off access to their technology for certain time frames, Rae suggests.—
Kristin Stoller,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Summer thunderstorms and winds easily topple large plants in small containers, breaking off plant parts and making a mess.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2026
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Many meteors originate from comets, breaking off as these celestial bodies approach the Sun, heating up and sprouting tails of dust and gas; this debris can fall into our atmosphere, manifesting as brilliant shooting stars.—
Sharon Adarlo,
Futurism,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cutting off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cutting%20off. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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