1
: the act or action of cutting off
2
a
: the new and relatively short channel formed when a stream cuts through the neck of an oxbow
b
c
: a channel made to straighten a stream
3
: a device for cutting off
4
a
: something cut off
b
cutoffs plural
: shorts originally made from jeans with the legs cut off at the knees or higher
5
: the point, date, or period for a cutoff
cutoff
adjective
cut off; cutting off; cuts off
1
: to bring to an untimely end
Each one of those names reflects a life that was prematurely cut off …—
John Kerry
John Kerry2
: to stop the passage of
cut off communications
4
: discontinue, terminate
cut off a subscription
6
a
: disinherit
threatened to cut him off without a penny
b
: to refuse to serve (someone) more alcohol
The bartender cut them off.
7
a
: to stop the operation of : turn off
cut off the engine
b
: to stop or interrupt while in communication
the operator cut me off
: to cease operating
Synonyms
Examples of cutoff in a Sentence
Noun
a cutoff of the water supply
The cutoff for new applications is next Wednesday.
Verb
the majority party cut off debate and forced a vote on the bill
the dog cut off the one sheep that had to be sheared
Recent Examples on the WebNancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2024
The rest of the year, from the second Sunday in March through the first Saturday in November, the cutoff time goes back an hour to 6:59 p.m.
—Raphael Romero Ruiz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024
Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Aug. 2024
According to Jewish tradition, anything in the sanctuary that touched the bodies of the victims is considered part of the body, so the bottoms of pews in the sanctuary had to be cut off, parts of the floor jackhammered out and pieces of drywall removed, Hausman said.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cutoff 
Noun
Jury instructions were still being drafted as of Thursday, but Judge Whitaker previously ruled that June 12 was the cutoff for possible testimony because that was the date that Kendrick filed his motion to recuse Judge Glanville over the secret meeting with Copeland.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2024
The rest of the year, from the second Sunday in March through the first Saturday in November, the cutoff time goes back an hour to 6:59 p.m.
—Raphael Romero Ruiz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024
Verb
Venus sparks off a toxic romantic spat, invites a sudden destabilizing surprise into your life, and cuts off access to your sense of intuition.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Aug. 2024
According to Jewish tradition, anything in the sanctuary that touched the bodies of the victims is considered part of the body, so the bottoms of pews in the sanctuary had to be cut off, parts of the floor jackhammered out and pieces of drywall removed, Hausman said.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cutoff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cutoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cutoff
Cite this Entry
“Cutoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cutoff. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cutoff
1 of 2 noun
cut·off
ˈkət-ˌȯf 
1
a
: the action of cutting off
b
: the point or date that cutting off occurs
2
: a device for cutting off
3
plural
: shorts made from jeans with the legs cut off short
cutoff
adjective
cut off
2 of 2 verbˌkət-ˈȯf
1
: to stop the flow or movement of
cut off a supply
2
: isolate
cut off from the world
3
: discontinue sense 2
they cut off relations with us
4
: to stop from talking
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