shutdown

1 of 2

noun

shut·​down ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 

: the cessation or suspension of an operation or activity

shut down

2 of 2

verb

shut down; shutting down; shuts down

intransitive verb

: to settle so as to obscure vision : close in

the night shut down early

transitive verb

: to make ineffective in competition

shut down the opposition's offensive line

Synonyms of shutdown

Noun

• cessation
• halt
• ending
• closure
• end
• close
• conclusion

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

Noun

Sure enough, the Brewers untouchable bullpen immediately got to work, getting a shutdown inning as JoJo Romero got Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman in order on just 12 pitches. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Palisades is expected to be the first nuclear plant in the world to resume generating power after beginning the decommissioning process, but other countries have restarted or refurbished reactors after long-term shutdowns, the association said. — Jennifer McDermott, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

The exchange came as Kyiv pressed its campaign against Russian infrastructure, with a drone attack on Sunday shutting down a data center in the city of Vladimir, east of Moscow, run by technology giant Yandex. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026

This amount is roughly equivalent to two days of production shut down by the storm. — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1779, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for shutdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

shutdown

noun

shut·​down ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 

: an ending of an activity