wall off
C1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
Use a wall to divide or block off a part of something, or stop sharing your feelings with people.
Literal meaning: To wall something so it is cut off.
Meanings
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."
Grammar: separable
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."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
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.
Commonly used with
feelings emotions section area border memory
Forms
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
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Synonyms
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