shut; shutting
1
a
: to move into position to close an opening
shut the lid
b
: to prevent entrance to or passage to or from
2
: to confine by or as if by enclosure
shut herself in her study
3
: to fasten with a lock or bolt
4
: to close by bringing enclosing or covering parts together
shut the eyes
5
: to cause to cease or suspend an operation or activity
—often used with down
1
: to close itself or become closed
flowers that shut at night
2
: to cease or suspend an operation or activity
—often used with down
Examples of shut in a Sentence
Verb
He shut his eyes and went to sleep.
She shut the book loudly.
I accidentally shut the door on her fingers.
flowers that shut at night
The door shut slowly behind me.
The owner is shutting the pub for the weekend.
They plan to shut the factory by the end of the year.
Adjective
She listened to the music with her eyes shut.
Check to make sure that all the windows are shut.
Recent Examples on the Web
Frank Langfitt, NPR, 1 May 2025
The location, a historic shopping destination, will shut its doors in early May after the lease expires, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC7 News.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
When in the history of this show has a death been this open and shut?
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 3 Dec. 2024
Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Brighton have one more game after that before the window shuts, away to Nottingham Forest on February 1.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shut
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
In 2020, Duterte's government refused to renew the license of the country's largest broadcaster and shut it down.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 1 May 2025
The location, a historic shopping destination, will shut its doors in early May after the lease expires, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC7 News.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Adjective
When times are good, the trapdoor generally stays shut but when a bust comes along these trapdoors start springing open.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
When in the history of this show has a death been this open and shut?
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
And even with the border shut, drones, planes and tunnels can easily continue supplying the market.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Brighton have one more game after that before the window shuts, away to Nottingham Forest on February 1.
—Andy Naylor, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shut
Cite this Entry
“Shut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shut. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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