shut down; shutting down; shuts down
: to settle so as to obscure vision : close in
the night shut down early
: to make ineffective in competition
shut down the opposition's offensive line
Examples of shutdown in a Sentence
Noun
the shutdown of the factory
the factory resumed operation after a brief shutdown for repairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2025
While some government programs have continued during the shutdown with minimal interruptions, state agencies may not have enough funding for nutrition assistance services if the shutdown extends past October.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
Andy McCullough, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
Three people died in a fiery crash at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel that shut down part of Interstate 70 for more than 12 hours on Sunday, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
The protests come during a federal government shutdown which has triggered layoffs, furloughs and pay withheld for federal workers, and traffic delays at some airports .
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2025
While some government programs have continued during the shutdown with minimal interruptions, state agencies may not have enough funding for nutrition assistance services if the shutdown extends past October.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
Snell is capable of shutting down any lineup at any time.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
Three people died in a fiery crash at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel that shut down part of Interstate 70 for more than 12 hours on Sunday, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
Cite this Entry
“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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