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
James Peckham, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Awaiting Johnson's next move on DHS funding Lawmakers return as the Department of Homeland Security's partial shutdown drags on -- hitting Day 66 on Monday when the Senate returns to session.
—John Parkinson, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Engineers feared that any further decline could trigger the spacecraft’s undervoltage fault protection system, which is designed to automatically shut down components to protect the probe.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
Outlook Lite first launched in 2022, but its shutdown was confirmed in October 2025, when Microsoft removed it from the Google Play Store to prevent new customers from downloading it.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Awaiting Johnson's next move on DHS funding Lawmakers return as the Department of Homeland Security's partial shutdown drags on -- hitting Day 66 on Monday when the Senate returns to session.
—John Parkinson, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
While their on-screen chemistry has sparked speculation about their off-screen relationship, both actors have repeatedly shut down rumors.
—Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Engineers feared that any further decline could trigger the spacecraft’s undervoltage fault protection system, which is designed to automatically shut down components to protect the probe.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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