# cut the cord

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cut-the-cord
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To end a child's overdependence on or overattachment to their parents.

## Examples

- It is time for him to cut the cord and live alone.
- After graduating from college, she finally decided to cut the cord and move into her own apartment.
- Although his parents still offered to pay his rent, he felt it was necessary to cut the cord to truly establish his own independence.

## Origin

The idiom is a variant of the phrase cut the umbilical cord, a surgical necessity adapted as a metaphor for the termination of dependency. No specific date of idiomatic emergence or individual originator is recorded in the source material.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.