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
Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
According to The Economist, the shutdown created a 14 million b/d shortfall.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Taylor Ward, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
Westbound Interstate 80 in West Sacramento has been shut down Tuesday evening due to a vegetation fire near Reed Avenue.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
Because millions were depending on it, SNAP became a focal point of the 43-day government shutdown last year.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
According to The Economist, the shutdown created a 14 million b/d shortfall.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
Major organs start to shut down – the barriers that separate the gut from the rest of the intestines can become more porous, leaking deadly toxins into the bloodstream and the heart fails.
—Taylor Ward, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
Westbound Interstate 80 in West Sacramento has been shut down Tuesday evening due to a vegetation fire near Reed Avenue.
—Richard Ramos, CBS News, 24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
Cite this Entry
“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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