1 A2 neutral
To remove something by cutting it away from the main body.
"The surgeon carefully cut off the damaged tissue during the operation."
separable
cut off
A2 neutral separable transitive
To separate something by cutting; to stop a supply; to interrupt someone; or to isolate someone from others.
In plain English
To separate something by cutting it, to stop something like water or electricity, to interrupt a phone call, or to make someone feel alone and separated.
What does "cut off" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To stop or interrupt the supply of something such as electricity, water, or gas.
"The electricity was cut off because they hadn't paid their bill for three months."
separable
3 A2 neutral
To interrupt someone while they are speaking, or to end a phone connection suddenly.
"She was in the middle of explaining the situation when the line cut off."
separable
4 B1 idiomatic neutral
To isolate someone or something, making it impossible to leave or receive help.
"The flooding cut the village off from the rest of the country for several days."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cut something so that it becomes severed or completely separated.
Actually means
To separate something by cutting it, to stop something like water or electricity, to interrupt a phone call, or to make someone feel alone and separated.
Usage tip
Extremely versatile and high-frequency phrasal verb. Common in everyday speech, driving, phone calls, politics, and military contexts. 'Get cut off' (passive) is very common for phone calls dropping. Also used in inheritance ('cut out of the will' vs. 'cut off').
Words that pair with "cut off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
supply phone retreat escape power conversation
How to conjugate "cut off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cut off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cuts off
he/she/it
Past simple
cut off
yesterday
Past participle
cut off
have + pp
-ing form
cutting off
continuous
Hear "cut off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cut off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.