shut up shop

phrase

British
: to go out of business forever or to stop performing all services or activities for a period of time
Rather than shutting up shop entirely, the company laid off half of its workers.
The store has already shut up shop for the day.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shut up shop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shut%20up%20shop. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster