Dictionary

pull the plug en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To unplug or cut power to a machine.
   • Shut off the machine and pull the plug.
   • He put an end to the loud music by pulling the plug.
2. (informal, intransitive) To turn off life support.
3. (informal, intransitive) To commit suicide.
   • 1981, The Jim Carroll Band, People Who Died Cathy was eleven when she pulled the plug / On twenty-six reds and a bottle of wine
   • "The Times said it was suicide," said Knight. "He burned himself out. There wasn't anything left." The Dean leveled his eyes at Reid, searching for more, wanting more, not wanting more, and Reid continued, "So he pulled the plug." "Pulled the plug? The paper said it was cyanide," his voice filled with curiosity. 2007, Lee Stockdale, Murder of Law, page 118:
4. (informal, intransitive) To cease to support; to halt.
   • "We have a deal that stopped me pulling the plug on services. But only just. I was hours from having to stop the Underground and buses from running in this, the greatest city on Earth. How insane is that? How could that even be allowed to happen? "I waited until five to midnight on the day when I would have had to pull the plug for the next day, before I got the letter from the Government on an interim funding settlement. 2020 July 15, Mike Brown talks to Paul Clifton, “Leading London's "hidden heroes"”, in Rail, pages 42–43:
   • It's a wonder the director didn't pull the plug on that project months ago.
5. (informal, intransitive) To cease production or publication.

Forms

Translations (22)

fi lakkauttaa (cease to support, halt) · pl przestać wspierać (cease to support, halt) · nb trekke ut proppen (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · pl przestawać wspierać (cease to support, halt) · it staccare la spina (cease to support, halt) · cy tynnu plwg (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · nb trekke ut kontakten (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · fr débrancher la prise (cease to support, halt) · de den Garaus machen (cease to support, halt) · pl zatrzymywać (cease to support, halt) · gl desenchufar (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · ro scoate din priză (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · nb trekke ut kontakten (cease to support, halt) · ko 플러그를 뽑다 (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · da trække stikket (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · fi katkaista virta (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · chr ᎫᏓᎴᎠ (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · fi lopettaa (cease to support, halt) · pl zatrzymać (cease to support, halt) · de den Stecker ziehen (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · mi koti (unplug, cut power — see also unplug) · de den Stecker ziehen (cease to support, halt)