Meaning trap
cut off
stop supply (water, money, etc.)
To stop providing something that someone needs, like water, gas, or financial support.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To stop providing something that someone needs, like water, gas, or financial support.
Another meaning of 'cut off' is 'disconnect (phone, electricity, etc.)'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
If you don't pay the bill, the water company might cut off your supply.
Some parents cut off financial support when their children finish university to encourage independence.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: The company cut off us because we didn't pay.
Say: The company cut us off because we didn't pay.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'cut us off', not 'cut off us'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Cut off' is what everyone says about losing a utility; 'discontinued our water supply' is a billing letter.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
cut off + supply
- the water
- the gas
- his funding
- the power
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- cut off (disconnect (phone, electricity, etc.)) — Another meaning of 'cut off' is 'disconnect (phone, electricity, etc.)'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.