AAAmerican Accent US

come off

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: come OFF. Saying “COME off” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /m/ of “come” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “come off” is said “co-moff”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

2 meanings

  1. 1

    To become detached.

    • “The handle came off in my hand.”
    • “One of the buttons has come off.”

    Similar: detach

  2. 2

    To succeed or happen as planned.

    • “It was a risky idea, but it came off.”
    • “The merger never came off.”

    Similar: succeed

The particle logic

off

Contact is broken: something detaches, leaves, or stops.

Listen + practice

Hear “come off” spoken naturally

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More COME phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

come across

To find or meet something by chance.

come up with

To produce or invent an idea or solution.

come up

(Of a topic or problem) to arise.

come back

To return to a place.

come down with

To start to have an illness, usually a minor one.

come over

To visit someone's home.

come out

To become known or be published.

come in

To enter a place.

come along

To accompany someone.

come around

To change your mind and accept something.

come apart

To fall into pieces.

come between

To damage the relationship between two people.

come off — meaning, examples & how to say it