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
Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025
Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, regular funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – also known as SNAP, food stamps and CalFresh in California – were depleted at the end of October.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Additionally, center Motiejus Krivas had some juice entering last season but dealt with a foot injury in the preseason that got worse as the season progressed and ultimately resulted in him being shut down in December.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
Democrats would not get an extension for Affordable Care Act subsidies, which expire at the end of the year and was their core demand during the shutdown.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2025
Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, regular funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – also known as SNAP, food stamps and CalFresh in California – were depleted at the end of October.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
The epicenter of Los Angeles effectively shut down for several hours as the parade wove through the sea of fans bleeding Dodger blue with the Boys in Blue riding atop double-decker buses with friends and family, while waving to fans and holding the Commissioner’s Trophy.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Additionally, center Motiejus Krivas had some juice entering last season but dealt with a foot injury in the preseason that got worse as the season progressed and ultimately resulted in him being shut down in December.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 3 Nov. 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 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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