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
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
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Earlier in October, Duffy had warned air traffic controllers who had called in sick instead of working without a paycheck during the shutdown risked being fired.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Additionally, center Motiejus Krivas had some juice entering last season but dealt with a foot injury in the preseason that got worse as the season progressed and ultimately resulted in him being shut down in December.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
Officials from the government and air traffic controllers’ union say that flying remains safe, but warn that the longer the shutdown drags on, the more stress these safety-critical employees will be under.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Earlier in October, Duffy had warned air traffic controllers who had called in sick instead of working without a paycheck during the shutdown risked being fired.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
The epicenter of Los Angeles effectively shut down for several hours as the parade wove through the sea of fans bleeding Dodger blue with the Boys in Blue riding atop double-decker buses with friends and family, while waving to fans and holding the Commissioner’s Trophy.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Additionally, center Motiejus Krivas had some juice entering last season but dealt with a foot injury in the preseason that got worse as the season progressed and ultimately resulted in him being shut down in December.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
Cite this Entry
“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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