Meaning
- To stop the supply or flow of something.
- To stop someone from finishing what they’re saying.
- To stop contact or end a relationship.
- To obstruct or get in front of someone, often used in driving or sports.
- To withdraw money or resources.
- To remove or detach something by cutting.
Today's Sentences
01
Did the call cut off again?
Situation
Hello?
Are you still there, or did the call cut off again?
Sorry.
My signal disappears every time I walk into a certain part of the house.
Should I call you back when you have better connection?
Let me call you back once I get into a better area.
02
They cut off the supply for maintenance.
Situation
Did the water just get cut off?
I was in the middle of rinsing my hair!
Yeah, the city said they’d cut off the supply for maintenance.
A warning would’ve been nice.
I sent you a text!
I should have reminded you with a call.
Writer's Note
"Cut off" is a transitive. intransitive, inseparable, and separable phrasal verb.
- Transitive - These phrasal verbs need a direct object to complete their meaning.
Structure: "Verb + Object + Particle"
Example 1: The company cut the power off during the outage.
Example 2: Please cut off the music, it’s too loud.
Example 3: The coach cut the player off mid-sentence. - Intransitive - These phrasal verbs do not take a direct object.
Structure: "Subject + Verb + Particle"
Example 1: The call cut off right when she started talking.
Example 2: The video feed cut off during the meeting.
Example 3: The engine suddenly cut off at the stoplight. - Inseparable - The verb and particle cannot be separated; the object must always follow the particle.
Structure: "Verb + Particle + Object"
Example 1: His parents cut off his allowance after the argument.
Example 2: The driver cut off the cyclist without looking.
Example 3: She cut off her friends when she moved abroad. - Separable - The direct object can be placed either after the particle or between the verb and the particle.
Structure: "Verb + Object + Particle"
Example 1: The nurse cut the bandage off gently.
Example 2: The had to cut the old branches off to save the tree.
Example 3: The storm cut the internet off for the whole neighborhood.
Related Words: Block, disconnect, discontinue, interrupt, isolate, remove, sever, stop, suspend, terminate
