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

Superintendent Yvonne Stokes said the idea to provide lunches for students, who can’t be in school because of the ongoing power outage, harkened back to the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

These new shutdowns are the latest in a series of moves that have whittled down Netflix’s internal game business, which now consists of Next Games, which is based in Helsinki, as well as a gaming team that works with external developers. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Verb

In the event states lose their lawsuits that aim to shut down prediction markets, the next-best thing might be for the traditional sportsbooks to fail in their excursions into prediction markets. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026

In 2025, a crematory in south suburban Chicago Heights owned by Clark Morgan was shut down by state officials after the remains of more than 100 bodies were found improperly stored. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 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