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Meaning & use

being cut off

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌbiːɪŋ kʌt ˈɒf/
US/ˌbiːɪŋ kʌt ˈɔːf/

Meanings

  1. phrase

    The state of having your phone, internet, or power service stopped suddenly.

    Grammar: Acts like a noun: it can be a subject or follow a preposition.

    Patterns

    • being cut off from something
    • after being cut off

    Being cut off in the middle of a call is really annoying.

    Thousands of homes faced being cut off for days after the storm.

    She hated being cut off from the internet while traveling.

  2. phrase

    The situation of being separated or prevented from reaching people or places.

    Grammar: Often followed by 'from': being cut off from the outside world.

    Patterns

    • being cut off from somebody
    • being cut off from something

    The village was cut off from the main road by heavy snow.

    He described being cut off from his family during the war.

    Being cut off from help made the hikers nervous.

  3. phrase

    The act of being interrupted or stopped before you have finished speaking.

    Grammar: Used for speech or action that stops abruptly.

    Patterns

    • being cut off in the middle of something

    I kept being cut off in the middle of my sentence.

    His explanation suffered from being cut off by questions.

Common combinations

being cut off from the world
The island felt like being cut off from the world.
being cut off in mid-sentence
She complained about being cut off in mid-sentence.
risk being cut off
Customers risk being cut off if they don't pay.
being cut off mid-call
Being cut off mid-call happens when the signal drops.

Synonyms and how they differ

disconnection
A more formal noun for losing a service; it does not suggest suddenness as strongly.
isolation
Focuses on separation from people rather than loss of a service.

Opposites

connection

Word family

cut off phrasal verb
To stop a service or separate someone.
cutoff noun
A limit or stopping point, as in a cutoff date.

Commonly confused: being cut off or being cut out?

being cut off vs being cut out

'Cut out' means removed or suited for something, as in 'I'm not cut out for this job'; 'cut off' is about stopping or separating.

Practice

The mountain village was ______ from the rest of the country by the landslide.

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