come off — become detached
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To become separated or removed from something.
Say it like a native
Textbook The button became detached from my shirt this morning.
Native A button came off my shirt this morning.
'Come off' is the everyday verb for something detaching; 'became detached from' is formal.
Pattern: come off (sth)
In use
- The handle came off the suitcase while I was running for the bus.daily life
- During my trip, one of the wheels came off my luggage, so I had to carry it the rest of the way.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The handle came off from the door.
✓ The handle came off the door.
'Come off' takes the thing directly — no 'from'.
Common collocations
come off + surface— the wall, my shirt, the shelf, in my hand
Don't confuse it
This sense is about physical objects separating, not about success or results.
Related
- come off (succeed) — Another meaning of 'come off' is 'succeed'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.