shelter in place
1 of 2phrase
: to remain inside in one's current location until a danger has passed : to temporarily take shelter in a protected space
The … campus was placed under lockdown in response to the shooting. People on campus were advised to shelter in place. No students were hurt or endangered, the school said.—
Julia Jacobo
Julia JacoboThese communities—including our own—need to start hardening themselves against future fires. That means preparing homes for fires the way we already do for earthquakes and floods. It also means developing better alert systems, heeding evacuation warnings when they come and being prepared to shelter in place when escape routes are cut off …—The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California)
The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California)
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
Todd Feurer, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Following Moore's arrest, the Sandy Police Department announced in a Facebook post that a shelter-in-place order from earlier on Sunday had been lifted.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
The suspect barricaded inside the home, triggering a massive response from multiple law enforcement agencies and prompting shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Officials said the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department was working on a gas leak in the area of 4300 Dorman Ct. shortly after 10:00 a.m. Saturday and directed residents within a one block radius to shelter-in-place until further notice.
—Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shelter in place
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Adjective
That shelter-in-place has since been lifted, but the investigation continued Thursday afternoon.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Following Moore's arrest, the Sandy Police Department announced in a Facebook post that a shelter-in-place order from earlier on Sunday had been lifted.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
The suspect barricaded inside the home, triggering a massive response from multiple law enforcement agencies and prompting shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents.
—Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Officials said the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department was working on a gas leak in the area of 4300 Dorman Ct. shortly after 10:00 a.m. Saturday and directed residents within a one block radius to shelter-in-place until further notice.
—Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 30 May 2026
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%20in%20place. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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