shut; shutting
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
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
Examples of shut in a Sentence
Verb
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.
Adjective
She listened to the music with her eyes shut.
Check to make sure that all the windows are shut.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Ronan, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2025
Her daughter just shuts her down as cold as possible, that’s just brutal.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
Alexandra Skores, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
The report also revealed the cockpit door was jammed shut and the flight crew exited the plane through the emergency hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit.
—Sam Sweeney, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2025
Ahmed Walid, The Athletic, 28 Aug. 2024
The damage Moicano put on his opponent forced the doctor to wave off the fight as Saint Denis’ right eye was nearly swollen shut.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shut
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The pegs here keep your cookware from sliding around, and motivate you to put everything back in its right place, instead of dropping it in wherever and slamming shut.
—Alex Ronan, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2025
Her daughter just shuts her down as cold as possible, that’s just brutal.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The cockpit door was jammed shut, so the pilots had to climb out of an emergency hatch located on the ceiling of the cockpit, the report says.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
The report also revealed the cockpit door was jammed shut and the flight crew exited the plane through the emergency hatch on the ceiling of the cockpit.
—Sam Sweeney, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
On Monday, August 30, 2004 — the day before that summer’s transfer window shut — Everton’s then chairman, the late Bill Kenwright, was sitting in Ferguson’s office at Old Trafford, alongside his club’s manager David Moyes and United CEO David Gill following a goalless draw between the two sides.
—Ahmed Walid, The Athletic, 28 Aug. 2024
The damage Moicano put on his opponent forced the doctor to wave off the fight as Saint Denis’ right eye was nearly swollen shut.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shut
Cite this Entry
“Shut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shut. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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