ENGLISH
REFERENCE

kill off

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford Informal

phr. v.. to eliminate or destroy something completely — often used for ending a competition, a story element, or a biological entity.

phr. v.. to cause the complete destruction or elimination of something; often used in contexts of ending a competition, a story element, or a biological entity. The phrasal verb is separable in certain syntactic constructions but typically used as an inseparable unit.


SIMPLE

The new policy will kill off the old system.

CONTEXTUAL

The author decided to kill off the main character in the second chapter.

COMPLEX

The virus was designed to kill off all infected cells in the body.

Origin

From kill + off.

Particles
off
Separability
optional
Pattern
kill + off + object
Usage

typically followed by a noun indicating what is being destroyed or eliminated.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'kill' (more general) and 'eliminate' (more formal); 'kill off' implies total eradication rather than mere harm.

Pitfall

The company decided to kill of the outdated product line.The company decided to kill off the outdated product line.the particle 'off' is required; 'kill of' is not a valid construction.

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