cut short

Idioms and Phrases

Abbreviate, stop abruptly, as in The thunderstorm cut short our picnic , or She cut her short, saying she'd already heard the story of their breakup . Shakespeare used this term to mean “put a sudden end to someone's life”: “Rather than bloody war shall cut them short” ( 2 Henry VI , 4:4), a less common usage today. The broader usage dates from the mid-1600s.

Example Sentences

“It is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way,” he said.

From BBC

She also thanked dance partner JB, saying she was "so sad, so upset and asking why me, why now that our journey has been cut short".

From BBC

Trump’s spokespeople have cut short his interviews while they were in progress and have canceled other engagements because the felon corrupt ex-president is “exhausted.”

From Salon

"It's not just the Army - my whole life was cut short from that day on," Mr Close said.

From BBC

Previous efforts by the brothers and their attorneys to cut short their incarceration have been fruitless, but a new writ of habeas corpus citing new evidence is being considered by the Dist.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abort
• break off
• curtail
• halt
• hinder
• interrupt
• postpone
• quit
• shorten
• terminate