shut

1 of 3

verb

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

shut

2 of 3

adjective

1
: closed, fastened, or folded together
2
: rid, clear, free
usually used with of

shut

3 of 3

noun

: the act of shutting

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
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.
Verb
As John fell, Yvette reached out to push the man and shut the door, succeeding before she was also hit eight times by gunfire. Arkansas Online, 21 June 2025 When a moonshot project failed—after years and millions invested—the team that shut it down got a bonus. Bill Fischer, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
To avoid bottles that are glued shut, clean the bottle top and cap of excess glue. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 June 2025 The bay door, which was supposed to open to release the satellites, was jammed shut. Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
Noun
Tanya has no idea where folks will go next or what’s ahead for herself and the handful of remaining employees after Olivera’s shuts. Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025 However, the expectations are that no new player will join before the window shuts tonight — the only option, though unlikely, is a late loan from outside the Premier League. Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shut

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shut was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shut. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

shut

verb
ˈshət
shut; shutting
1
: to move into position so as to close an opening
shut the door
2
: to close so as to forbid entrance or leaving
shut the cottage for the winter
3
: to keep in a place by enclosing or by blocking the way out : imprison
shut them in jail
4
: to close by bringing parts together
shut your eyes
5
: to stop or cause to stop operation
shut both stores for a week
the plant shut down

More from Merriam-Webster on shut

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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