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shut up
verb
shut up; shutting up; shuts up
: to cause (a person) to stop talking
: to cease writing or speaking
Synonyms
Examples of shut up in a Sentence
you have no right to tell the rest of us to shut up
nothing I said would shut them up
Recent Examples on the Web
But sadly, in this current climate, some of the very people best and most excited to step up and help are being told to shut up and sit down.
—Jim Daly, The Denver Post, 1 May 2024
At least some Jets fans wish Mr. Rodgers would just shut up and play.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Where others saw chaos and disorder, Ditto saw her neighbors putting up instead of shutting up.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2024
The White House hopes to capitalize on Republicans’ disarray, in effect calling their bluff and daring them to put up or shut up, although the hard-liners in the G.O.P. conference are unlikely to choose either option.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024
Be beautiful and shut up: That was the job of a model.
—Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024
The idea that this famously corrupt post-Soviet republic could have posed as a democracy was cute on its face, of course — shut up and fly your blue-and-yellow flag.
—Ted Rall, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024
Of course the two unabashedly confident and outspoken Black athletes who have been told numerous times by society to shut up and dribble − and rolled their eyes at the suggestion − would find each other.
—USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024
May the huge majority of fans, who are good people, stand up to shut up all the racists once and for all!
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shut up.' 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
1814, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Dictionary Entries Near shut up
Cite this Entry
“Shut up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shut%20up. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
shut up
verb1
: to cause a person to stop talking
2
: to stop writing or speaking
More from Merriam-Webster on shut up
Nglish: Translation of shut up for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of shut up for Arabic Speakers
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