shut

play

verb \ ˈshət \

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

Train services and public transport were halted and airports shut on Tuesday as roads turned into rivers and floodwaters seeped into many low-lying buildings.

— Washington Post, "Building collapses in India, killing at least 12; 25 trapped," 31 Aug. 2017
The storm has dumped up to 50 inches of rain in some places with flooding shutting down up to 23 percent - more than 3.6 million barrels a day - of U.S. fuel refining capacity.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Hurricane Harvey: How high will gas prices go? What states will be hit the hardest?," 30 Aug. 2017
From the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, Milford was off to a quick start and Anderson appeared to have momentum until Moeller shut them out.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Who's in first in local Division I boys soccer?," 30 Aug. 2017
NASA has shut down Johnson Space Center for all employees except essential personnel, like members of the center’s flight-control room, which communicates with the International Space Station.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "NASA's New Telescope Is in Harvey's Path," 29 Aug. 2017
According to the BBC, rescue teams rushed in to clear the coast, and residents were advised to keep their windows and doors shut.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "A Mysterious Chemical Cloud Descended on the British Coast," 29 Aug. 2017
Starter and winner Brenan Hanifee (7-3) was joined by three relievers to shut the Lake Monsters down on five hits.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "IronBirds drop finale, series in Vermont," 28 Aug. 2017
And Antifa played the main role in shutting down speeches by Milo Yiannopoulos and Ann Coulter.

— michael brendan dougherty, National Review, "The Fascists Were Using Antifa against Conservatives," 18 Aug. 2017
Names like Stargasm and Shut Up and Dance remind us of summer lovin’, and the shades themselves have us head over heels.

— vanityfair.com, "The Sweetest Nail-Polish Colors of Summer 2017," 17 Aug. 2017

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

See Words from the same year

shut Synonyms

Synonyms

make [chiefly dialect], close, steek [chiefly Scottish]

Antonyms

open

Related Words

bar, batten (down), bolt, chain, fasten, latch, lock; plug, seal, stopper; secure; bang, clap, slam

Near Antonyms

unbar, unbolt, unchain, unfasten, unlatch, unlock, unseal

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

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
Megyn Kelly 07/07/2017 0:48 PREVIEW: Ed Sheeran Tells Megyn Kelly 'Prepare To Be Shut Down'

— ashley iasimone, Billboard, "Ed Sheeran Admits He Got 'Shut Down' for Aiming for Adele's Level of Success," 7 July 2017
All state services deemed non-essential in New Jersey remain shut down going into Monday, as Garden State residents wait for the legislature and Gov. Chris Christie to hash out an overdue budget.

— USA TODAY, "5 things you need to know Monday," 3 July 2017
But even if everything James Comey says is true, is an obstruction case open and shut?

— danny cevallos, CNN, "Could ignorance be a Trump defense?," 8 June 2017
The bond market closed at 2 p.m. and will remain shut Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

— sam goldfarb, WSJ, "U.S. Government Bonds Settle Into Tight Range," 26 May 2017
Was anyone on the team able to catch some shut eye Sunday night?

— vytas mazeika, The Mercury News, "Steffens and Co. leave their mark at Stanford with 113th NCAA title," 15 May 2017

First Known Use of shut

15th century

shut

noun

Definition of shut

:the act of shutting

Recent Examples of shut from the Web

Schools, airports and office buildings in Houston were ordered shut on Monday as scores of roads were turned into rivers by floods and chest-high water filled numerous neighborhoods in the low-lying city.

— reuters, Fortune, "Houston Crippled by Catastrophic Flood as Mass Evacuations Ordered," 27 Aug. 2017
If the sand is not already in a plastic bag, protect it by wrapping it in a heavy-duty trash bag with its openings taped shut.

— roy berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The Homeowner's Last-Minute Hurricane Prep Checklist," 25 Aug. 2017
Their delicate skins are loosely packed with ground beef, musky from cumin, and just barely pinched shut.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "Afghan Delights, Delicate and Rugged, at Sami’s Kabab House in Queens," 24 Aug. 2017
One week after launching his presidential campaign, in 2015, Donald Trump pledged to become a shut-in at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "The Trumps’ Travels Have Broken the Secret Service Budget," 21 Aug. 2017
An abused terrier puppy injured after someone tied its snout shut is recovering after being found abandoned in Santee Wednesday night.

— debbi baker, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Abused and injured puppy found abandoned in Santee," 28 July 2017
While one door shuts to plaintiffs, others may open.

— margaret cronin fisk, Bloomberg.com, "The Supreme Court Delivers a Blow to Plaintiff Paradise," 26 July 2017
The shut off will be incremental, but according to Reuters, two of the city’s most majestic fountains have already been affected.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Vatican Shuts Off Its Historic Fountains in Midst of Scorching Drought," 26 July 2017
And like hot dogs, many sub sandwiches come on buns or rolls that are only partially split for the meat and vegetables to be put inside before they are folded shut.

— joseph gerth, The Courier-Journal, "The Courier-Journal made a mistake, and it's time to be frank about it | Joseph Gerth," 19 July 2017

First Known Use of shut

1667

SHUT Defined for English Language Learners

shut

play

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

play

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

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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

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