Cut off
Cut off verb - To set or keep apart from others.
Usage example: the dog cut off the one sheep that had to be sheared
Keep
Keep verb - To mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony.
Both terms in one sentence
-
The man who failed to keep the discovery from the media gets his ears cut off as punishment.
Source: Indian Burial Ground -
She struggled to regain the side of the boat, but they cut off her fingers to keep her away.
Source: Bears Are Bad News - His Moral Event Horizon was arguably when he cut off Rin's foot just to keep him in place.
Cite this Source
Keep and Cut off. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/cut_off/keep
Cut off & Keep. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/cut_off/keep>.
Keep or Cut off. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/cut_off/keep.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "cut off" and "keep" have occurred on timeline