shelter-in-place
adjective
variants
or less commonly shelter in place
: instructing or requiring people to remain in their current location until a danger has passed
The governor has issued a shelter-in-place order.
: of or relating to sheltering in place
shelter-in-place drills
see also shelter in place at shelter entry 2
Examples of shelter-in-place in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An individual seen wielding what appeared to be a firearm near a Massachusetts university dormitory, prompting a shelter-in-place order and large law enforcement response, has been identified as a juvenile holding an airsoft replica firearm, police said Thursday.
—
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025
The university said a shelter-in-place order was issued across the main campus after someone falsely claimed to hear gunshots near Norlin Library from Sewall Hall.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The false reports prompted shelter-in-place orders as well as large police responses as the college outside Philadelphia began fall semester.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
An evacuation warning for Richmond Hill was also lifted, and earlier shelter-in-place orders for Middleton Place and Alcott Place have since been cleared.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shelter-in-place
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025
The university said a shelter-in-place order was issued across the main campus after someone falsely claimed to hear gunshots near Norlin Library from Sewall Hall.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The false reports prompted shelter-in-place orders as well as large police responses as the college outside Philadelphia began fall semester.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
An evacuation warning for Richmond Hill was also lifted, and earlier shelter-in-place orders for Middleton Place and Alcott Place have since been cleared.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shelter-in-place
Cite this Entry
“Shelter-in-place.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelter-in-place. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share