close off
2 meanings
stop people from entering an area by blocking it
What does "close off" mean in this sense?
Examples
- The police closed off the street after the accident.
- Firefighters closed the whole block off while they dealt with the gas leak.
- The northern wing of the museum has been closed off for renovation.
How to use it
The most common pattern, with the object (a specific physical area) placed directly after the phrasal verb.
Security staff closed off the entrance to the stadium before the match ended.
Separation is natural and common with short, specific noun phrases referring to places.
The fire brigade closed the road off while they dealt with the incident.
When using a pronoun as the object, it must go between the verb and the particle — there is no other option.
The section was already dangerous, so the managers closed it off immediately.
The passive form is very natural, especially in news reports and official announcements, to focus on the area rather than who blocked it.
Several streets in the town centre have been closed off by police following a security alert.
Used to describe an ongoing state — that an area is currently blocked — rather than the action of blocking it.
The car park behind the venue is closed off, so you'll need to find somewhere else to park.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
'Close' alone can mean a place is shut, but it doesn't carry the specific meaning of blocking access or preventing entry. Use 'close off' when you want to emphasise that people are being kept out.
'Seal off' implies a thorough, often high-security closure with no gaps — it's stronger and more intense. 'Close off' is more general and is the better choice in everyday contexts where you simply mean access is being blocked.
When the object is a pronoun, it must come between 'close' and 'off'. Placing it after 'off' is not grammatical in English.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral in register and equally common in spoken and written English. It is very frequently used in news reports and official contexts, often in the passive: 'The area has been closed off.'
stop sharing your feelings or letting people get close to you
Sense 2: What does "close off" mean?
Examples
- After the betrayal, she closed herself off from any possibility of trusting another person.
- He had been closing himself off emotionally for years before he finally sought help.
- When did you first start to close off from the people who love you?
How to use it
This is the most natural and complete form — the reflexive pronoun is almost always present and the 'from' phrase identifies what the person is withdrawing from.
After the breakdown of her marriage, she closed herself off from any real intimacy for years.
The reflexive pronoun can be dropped in more informal or spoken contexts while still sounding natural, particularly when the meaning is clear from context.
He just closed off from everyone after the news, and nobody could reach him.
Used as a predicative adjective to describe someone's current emotional state — this is extremely common in both conversation and writing.
She seems so closed off lately; it's hard to know what she's really feeling.
The present perfect is frequently used to describe an emotional state that began in the past and has continued into the present.
He has closed himself off from meaningful relationships ever since the betrayal.
The present continuous captures the gradual, ongoing nature of the withdrawal — the process as it unfolds.
I can feel myself closing off from people I used to trust, and I'm not sure how to stop it.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
While 'she closed off from everyone' is understood in speech, the most natural and precise form — especially in writing or reflective contexts — includes the reflexive pronoun: 'she closed herself off from everyone'. Dropping it can sound incomplete.
'Close off' can also mean to seal or block a physical space, so context is essential. The emotional sense always involves feelings, people, or relationships — never buildings, roads, or areas. Using it with a spatial object in this sense will confuse readers.
'Shut out' focuses on excluding specific other people from your life, whereas 'close off' describes an inward act — withdrawing from feelings or connection in general. If the emphasis is on your own emotional state rather than on what you're doing to specific others, 'close off' is the right choice.
Usage
'Closed off' is very frequently used as a predicative adjective ('He's really closed off') in everyday speech, which is just as natural as the verbal form. This sense is found across formal therapy contexts and literary writing, but also in earnest personal conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can 'close off' be used in the passive? It seems very common in news articles.
Yes — the passive is actually one of the most natural ways to use 'close off', especially in news reporting and official contexts. Forms like 'the road has been closed off' or 'the area was closed off' are very frequent. You can also use it as a stative passive to describe an ongoing situation: 'The building is closed off' means it is currently blocked, not necessarily that someone is in the process of blocking it.
Does 'close off' only work with physical places, or can it describe other things?
The physical sense — blocking a road, street, building, or area — is by far the most common use. However, 'close off' can also be used more abstractly to talk about options or possibilities, for example: 'Taking that job would close off a lot of other opportunities.' This metaphorical use is less frequent, so focus on the physical sense first.
Can I say 'they are closing off the street right now'?
It's possible, but the present continuous can sound slightly unnatural with 'close off' unless you're describing a process that is clearly in progress at that exact moment. More typically, you'd use the simple past ('they closed off the street') or the passive ('the street has been closed off'). For something happening right now, it's more natural to say 'the street is being closed off'.
What kinds of objects can follow 'close off'? Can it be used with very large areas?
The objects are usually specific, physically bounded spaces — a street, a road, a building, a section, a corridor, or an entrance. Very large or abstract areas sound unnatural as objects (for example, 'closed off the city' would be unusual). The more concrete and spatially definable the place, the more natural 'close off' sounds.
Is 'close off' more British or more American?
It's used in both British and American English without any significant difference in meaning or frequency. You'll see it in news reporting and everyday speech in both varieties, so there's no need to treat it as regional.
Can 'close off' be used in the passive voice — like 'she was closed off by grief'?
No — this sense of 'close off' is always reflexive or intransitive, meaning the subject is the one performing the action on themselves. You cannot passivise it the way you would a transitive verb. Instead, you would say 'she had closed herself off' or describe her as 'closed off' using the adjectival form.
What's the difference between 'he closed himself off' and 'he seems closed off'?
'He closed himself off' describes the action or process of withdrawing — something that happened. 'He seems closed off' uses 'closed off' as an adjective to describe his current emotional state. Both are very natural and common; the adjectival form is especially frequent in everyday conversation when describing how someone seems or feels.
Does 'close off' always need a 'from' phrase — like 'close off from others'?
No, the 'from' phrase is optional. You can say 'she closed herself off entirely' without specifying what she's withdrawing from, and it sounds perfectly natural. Adding 'from' simply makes explicit what the person is pulling away from — feelings, intimacy, relationships, or the world in general.
Is 'close off' mainly used in therapy or psychology, or is it used in everyday speech too?
It appears most often in psychological, therapeutic, and literary contexts — discussions of emotional health, personal growth, and relationships. That said, it also turns up in earnest everyday conversation, particularly when people are talking honestly about someone's emotional state. It carries a reflective, slightly formal quality, so it's less likely in very casual small talk but entirely natural in thoughtful personal discussion.
Can 'close off' describe a long-term personality trait, or only a reaction to a specific event?
It can describe both. When used with the present perfect ('he has closed himself off') or the adjectival form ('she's always been closed off'), it can describe a deep-seated pattern of emotional unavailability. It's equally natural as a response to a specific loss or betrayal. The key connotation in either case is self-protection — a psychological withdrawal from vulnerability or connection.
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