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
Synonyms
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
Mike Deehan, Axios, 12 July 2024
Psychology experts, government officials, and lawmakers have attributed the trends, particularly among children and teens, to a litany of factors: Covid-19 shutdowns, economic challenges, and substance use among family members, and all the stressors those factors put on young children.
—Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 11 July 2024
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024
But too cold for too long and cells start to shut down and die.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shutdown 
Noun
But another major Red Line shutdown this weekend means T riders frying on the sidewalks yet again.
—Mike Deehan, Axios, 12 July 2024
Psychology experts, government officials, and lawmakers have attributed the trends, particularly among children and teens, to a litany of factors: Covid-19 shutdowns, economic challenges, and substance use among family members, and all the stressors those factors put on young children.
—Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 11 July 2024
Verb
In this case, a coding error in the update delivered an order to the operating system that caused the system to shut down.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2024
But too cold for too long and cells start to shut down and die.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shutdown
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shutdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shutdown
Cite this Entry
“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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