shutdown

1 of 2

noun

shut·​down ˈshət-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce shutdown (audio)
: the cessation or suspension of an operation or activity

shut down

2 of 2

verb

shut down; shutting down; shuts down

intransitive verb

: to settle so as to obscure vision : close in
the night shut down early

transitive verb

: to make ineffective in competition
shut down the opposition's offensive line

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
Noun
The problems deepened with shocks from the pandemic, when anti-virus controls led some cities into weekslong shutdowns and factories ended up with huge backlogs. Dake Kang and Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Friday March 8 is the latest deadline for Congress to avoid a partial government shutdown. Andrew Torgan, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 President Gerald Ford vetoed a funding bill two years later, resulting in the first federal funding gap—but not a shutdown. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Our first two experiments were conducted online because of shutdowns related to COVID-19. Matthew Robison, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2024 The lasting issues underscore the continued fragility of critical infrastructure nearly three years after a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline prompted a shutdown of the biggest network of fuel pipelines in the United States. Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Read more:Congress passes short-term deal to avert partial government shutdown As the dust settled, everyone seemed to be a little miffed – Democrats with the end result, and Republicans with how the Biden administration went about it. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 Continue reading … 'SAME C--P' – GOP hard-liners left frustrated again after bipartisan House vote avoiding shutdown. Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 Since the voluntary shutdown, he’s received a flood of calls and emails from people reminiscing about their memories of the chapel and concerned for its survival. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Violence has trapped many residents in their homes and shut down some public hospitals. Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Other state schools like North Florida and Florida International also have shut down DEI programs. Mark Long, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 For instance, the Whiting refinery in northwest Indiana — the largest BP refinery on the planet and the biggest refinery in the Midwest — shut down in early February and has not fully recovered. Matt Egan, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 The collision shut down all lanes of the westbound freeway for the investigation. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 Sixteen months ago, they were told that the Los Angeles Times, their employer, would outsource the printing of the paper and that the Olympic printing plant, once a crown jewel in a vast media empire, would shut down sometime in 2024. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 According to New York Times journalist Nicole Sperling, the pro-Palestinian protest shut down a main thoroughfare near the theater and delayed some big stars' arrival at the Academy Awards ceremony. Christian Holub, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 And then, after eight years of playing Rey, Ridley and the rest of the world went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the entire film and TV industry shut down. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 The nightclub was renamed the Latin Quarter and eventually shut down in the 1950s before reopening as the Hard Rock. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shutdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1779, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of shutdown was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near shutdown

Cite this Entry

“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shutdown

noun
shut·​down ˈshət-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce shutdown (audio)
: an ending of an activity

More from Merriam-Webster on shutdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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