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pinch off

B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

to take off a small bit with your fingers

Literal meaning: to squeeze something until it comes off

Meanings

1 B2 neutral

to remove a small piece by pressing and separating it with the fingers

"Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 neutral

to stop the growth of a plant by removing the top part with the fingers

"Gardeners often pinch off the dead flowers to encourage new blooms."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Common in cooking, gardening, and craft contexts.

Commonly used with

a piece the dough a leaf the tip a stem

Forms

Base
pinch off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
pinches off
he/she/it
Past simple
pinched off
yesterday
Past participle
pinched off
have + pp
-ing form
pinching off
continuous

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Synonyms

remove nip off pluck off break off snip off

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