1 B1 neutral
To remove a covering, layer, or coating from a surface.
"You need to strip off all the old paint before applying a fresh coat."
separable
strip off
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To remove a layer, covering, or clothing quickly and completely.
In plain English
To pull off a covering or your clothes quickly and completely.
What does "strip off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 informal
To remove clothing quickly or completely.
"The swimmers stripped off and jumped into the lake."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To strip (remove) something off a surface — mostly transparent.
Actually means
To pull off a covering or your clothes quickly and completely.
Usage tip
Used for paint, wallpaper, bark, and clothing. When used for clothing, it implies removing items quickly and completely. In British informal use it can simply mean to undress. The sense of removing a material layer is very common in DIY and construction contexts.
Words that pair with "strip off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
paint wallpaper bark wrapper label clothes layer
How to conjugate "strip off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
strip off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
strips off
he/she/it
Past simple
striped off
yesterday
Past participle
striped off
have + pp
-ing form
striping off
continuous
Hear "strip off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "strip off"
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