Finishing, Canceling, or Delaying (Off): English Vocabulary List

to pass the time without doing anything important or productive

"Beat off the hours."

"During the long journey, they decided to beat off the hours by chatting."

to cancel what has been planned

"They call off the wedding ceremony."

"The organizers had to call off the outdoor concert because of the approaching thunderstorm and high winds."

to put a check mark on or near an item to show it is done or verified

"Check off completed tasks on your list."

"I need to check off each item on my shopping list as I put it into the cart."

to mark an item or task on a list as completed or canceled by drawing a line through it

"Cross off the completed tasks."

"You can cross off each task on your list as you complete it to see your progress throughout the day."

to cancel a commitment or obligation, often at the last minute, by providing an excuse

"She cried off party."

"Tom was supposed to attend the meeting on Saturday, but he cried off at the last minute, claiming he had a terrible headache and could not possibly come."

to complete or finalize something, especially in a successful or satisfying manner

"Finish off the remaining work."

"The boxer landed a powerful punch to finish off his already exhausted opponent in the final round."

to conclude or cease, often in an abrupt or incomplete manner

"Please leave off the last part."

"The speaker had to leave off mid-sentence when the fire alarm sounded unexpectedly."

to cancel or postpone a match or game due to heavy rain or unfavorable weather conditions

"The game was rained off yesterday."

"The charity cricket match was rained off due to the persistent bad weather."

to end a phone call

"She rings off without saying goodbye."

"She had to ring off because her phone battery was about to die and she did not have a charger."

to conclude an event or activity in a satisfying manner

"Round off the speech."

"The singer rounded off the concert with her most famous song and the crowd gave her a standing ovation."

to complete a task thoroughly

"Polish off the cake."

"The diligent student managed to polish off the entire research paper before the deadline."

to avoid dealing with something, such as a responsibility or an issue

"Don't put off your homework."

"He has a tendency to put off important decisions until the very last moment."

to write the final message at the end of the letter or email that counts as one's signature

"The DJ signs off now."

"The news anchor signed off for the last time after forty years on television and the studio gave him a beautiful farewell party."