shut

verb \ ˈshət \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of shut

shut; shutting

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

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

See shut defined for English-language learners

See shut defined for kids

Examples of shut in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of shut from the Web

Like the rest of the world, Cara Delevingne watched in awe from afar as Beyoncé shut it down at Coachella over the weekend.

— zoë weiner, Teen Vogue, "Cara Delevingne Shut Down People Who Criticized Her for Complimenting Beyoncé's Coachella Performance," 16 Apr. 2018
But with about a month left in the season, the Suns opted to shut him down, citing left knee soreness as the reason.

— matt velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe has found his way out of the desert and back to the NBA playoffs," 14 Apr. 2018
The stop-start system that shuts the engine off when idling at stoplights is quicker and smoother than in other Fiat Chrysler vehicles but still more noticeable than the best competitors.

— mark phelan, USA TODAY, "Review: New looks, engine reboot Jeep Cherokee for 2019," 6 Apr. 2018
The stop-start system that shuts the engine off when idling at stoplights is quicker and smoother than in other FCA vehicles, but still more noticeable than the best competitors.

— mark phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Review: 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk powers ahead with new engine, looks," 4 Apr. 2018
Protesters have marched in the streets four times since his death, blocking cars, breaking a bus window, and briefly marching onto Interstate 5 last week, shutting it down.

— dale kasler, nashelly chavez and tony bizjak, sacbee, "White hearse arrives at south Sacramento church for Stephon Clark funeral | The Sacramento Bee," 29 Mar. 2018
The overthrow of Saddam was botched by America, which shut Sunnis out of the new order.

— The Economist, "Fifteen years after America’s invasion, Iraq is getting back on its feet," 28 Mar. 2018
On March 15, the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning confirming Russia hacked into the U.S. power grid and may be able to shut it down at will.

— jeff darcy, cleveland.com, "Stoneman Douglas Eagles soar in March for Our Lives: Darcy cartoon," 25 Mar. 2018
Or there's the ultimate extreme, like Sri Lanka, which just shut social media down.

— nicholas thompson, WIRED, "Mark Zuckerberg Talks to WIRED About Facebook’s Privacy Problem," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shut.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of shut

Middle English shetten, shutten, from Old English scyttan; akin to Middle Dutch schutten to shut in, Old English scēotan to shoot — more at shoot

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

shut Synonyms

shut

adjective

Definition of shut

1 : closed, fastened, or folded together

2 : rid, clear, free —usually used with of

See shut defined for English-language learners

Examples of shut in a Sentence

She listened to the music with her eyes shut.
Check to make sure that all the windows are shut.

Recent Examples of shut from the Web

Many buildings remain shut or under reconstruction, especially in the Roma and La Condesa neighborhoods.

— christopher reynolds, latimes.com, "Savor Puebla, a Mexican gem known for its food and sense of style," 18 Mar. 2018
Rachel Lindsay took full advantage of the Fantasy Suite on The Bachelor … to catch up on some shut eye.

— stephanie petit, PEOPLE.com, "Rachel Lindsay Didn't Have Sex with Nick Viall in the Fantasy Suite ... Because of Donald Trump," 7 Feb. 2018
Others remain shut to deal with damage and lack of water.

— tim johnson, miamiherald, "Puerto Rico economy at ‘a near standstill’ | Miami Herald," 10 Oct. 2017
Many assume that schools will remain shut for months.

— tim johnson, miamiherald, "In Puerto Rico, frustrated parents wonder when schools will reopen. It may be a while," 2 Oct. 2017
Some refineries remain shut or are running at reduced capacity, and gasoline prices have soared.

— clifford krauss, New York Times, "We Lived Through a Flood. Now We Have a Very Long To-Do List.," 8 Sep. 2017
Motorists across Texas and the rest of the United States can expect to pay 5 to 15 cents a gallon more at the pumps, as refineries in Houston and other parts of South Texas remain shut down.

— gordon dickson, star-telegram, "Gas prices already rising and likely to go higher thanks to Harvey," 28 Aug. 2017
Nairobi’s normally bustling streets were largely deserted, as residents stayed home, most shops remained shut and public transportation came to a standstill.

— felix njini, Bloomberg.com, "Kenya Braces for Trouble as Opposition Rejects Vote Results," 9 Aug. 2017
So the idea that this is some open and shut case that's no longer worth discussing is ridiculous.

— jack moore, GQ, "Jeff Sessions' Justice Department Wants to Take Away LGBT Workplace Protections," 27 July 2017

First Known Use of shut

15th century

See Words from the same year

in the meaning defined at sense 1

NEW! Time Traveler

shut

noun

Definition of shut

: the act of shutting

Recent Examples of shut from the Web

The mine opening itself has been dynamited shut, but the immense wooden structures still stick out from the mountainside.

— nathaniel wilder, Smithsonian, "A Daring Journey Into the Big Unknown of America’s Largest National Park," 18 Apr. 2018
The game remains scoreless at 0–0 through seven innings with Johnny Cueto throwing a shut-out for San Francisco.

— chris chavez, SI.com, "Diamondbacks' Patrick Corbin Throwing No-Hitter vs. Giants," 17 Apr. 2018
We were seated in her trailer with the curtains pulled shut.

— gabriel thompson, Longreads, "Coachella, Underground," 12 Apr. 2018
The dominance smile is mildly lopsided, with closed lips and one or both eyes squeezed shut, whereas reward smiles show upturned lips exposing a row of teeth and crinkled eyes.

— susan pinker, WSJ, "Smiles Hide Many Messages—Some Unfriendly," 5 Apr. 2018
That's in addition to her roles as an offensive catalyst and a shut-down pitcher.

— bob narang, chicagotribune.com, "Tori Meyer turning clutch hits into a habit for Barrington softball," 3 Apr. 2018
Some of the dead were found inside a cinema, which one witness said had been locked shut.

— nataliya vasilyeva, BostonGlobe.com, "64 killed in fire at Russian shopping mall," 26 Mar. 2018
The front office had targeted Koehler for years, intrigued by the shape of his curveball and his potential as a shut-down reliever.

— andy mccullough, latimes.com, "Here are the five questions the Dodgers must answer to end their World Series drought," 23 Mar. 2018
However, the 2015 Yankees provide another important lesson for the Giants: The window to win with a team that old shuts quickly.

— henry schulman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Giants season preview: Veteran team has talent — and small window to win," 22 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of shut

1667

See Words from the same year

in the meaning defined above

NEW! Time Traveler

SHUT Defined for English Language Learners

shut

verb

Definition of shut for English Language Learners

: to close (something)
: to become closed
: to stop the services or activities of (a business, school, etc.) for a period of time or forever

shut

adjective

Definition of shut for English Language Learners

: not open
: not operating or open to the public

SHUT Defined for Kids

shut

verb \ ˈshət \

Definition of shut for Students

shut; shutting

1 : to close or become closed

She shut the book loudly.

The door shuts by itself.

2 : to stop or cause to stop operation

She shut down the computer.

Shut off the TV.

3 : to confine by or as if by enclosing or by blocking the way out

Guards shut the thieves in a jail cell.

4 : to close by bringing parts together

Don't look! Shut your eyes!

— shut out

1 : to keep (something) from entering

Curtains shut out the sun.

2 : to keep (an opponent) from scoring in a game

— shut up

: to stop talking

Learn More about shut

See words that rhyme with shut Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shut Spanish Central: Translation of shut Nglish: Translation of shut for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shut for Arabic speakers

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shut

Definition of shut

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shut

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SHUT Defined for English Language Learners

shut

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shut

Definition of shut for English Language Learners

SHUT Defined for Kids

shut

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