1 C1 neutral
To separate an area from another using a wall or physical barrier.
"They walled off the damaged section of the building while repairs were underway."
separable
wall off
C1 neutral separable transitive
To separate one area from another by building a wall or barrier, or to emotionally cut oneself off from others.
In plain English
Use a wall to divide or block off a part of something, or stop sharing your feelings with people.
What does "wall off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
(Figurative) To emotionally separate oneself from others or from one's own feelings; to become closed off.
"After the divorce, he walled off his emotions and refused to talk about what happened."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To wall something so it is cut off.
Actually means
Use a wall to divide or block off a part of something, or stop sharing your feelings with people.
Usage tip
Used in both physical and emotional/psychological contexts. The emotional sense ('wall off one's feelings') is increasingly common in discussions of mental health and personal relationships.
Words that pair with "wall off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
feelings emotions section area border memory
How to conjugate "wall off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wall off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
walls off
he/she/it
Past simple
walled off
yesterday
Past participle
walled off
have + pp
-ing form
walling off
continuous
Hear "wall off" in the wild
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Other ways to say "wall off"
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