shut down; shutting down; shuts down
: to settle so as to obscure vision : close in
the night shut down early
: to make ineffective in competition
shut down the opposition's offensive line
Synonyms
Examples of shutdown in a Sentence
Noun
the shutdown of the factory
the factory resumed operation after a brief shutdown for repairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
These could possibly include forcing a government shutdown to push the Trump White House away from their moves toward authoritarianism and back toward a situation that elicits dialogue, negotiations, and compromise.
—Ewan Palmer, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
While some of the largest organizations are frantically working to move money around to keep their operations afloat, others are already facing real financial consequences and are at risk of shutting down immediately.
—Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shutdown 
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Noun
Air traffic control, law enforcement, border protection, power grid maintenance and Social Security and Medicare payments would continue under a shutdown.
—Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
These could possibly include forcing a government shutdown to push the Trump White House away from their moves toward authoritarianism and back toward a situation that elicits dialogue, negotiations, and compromise.
—Ewan Palmer, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
But the judge who on Friday temporarily blocked some parts of the administration's attempt to shut down USAID was appointed by Trump.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
While some of the largest organizations are frantically working to move money around to keep their operations afloat, others are already facing real financial consequences and are at risk of shutting down immediately.
—Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shutdown
Dictionary Entries Near shutdown
Cite this Entry
“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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