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
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
The shutdown was resolved a few weeks later.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The Seahawks shut down the New England Patriots in a 29-13 victory that earned the Seahawks their second Super Bowl title and first since 2014.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
Capitol Hill is facing a major time crunch to avoid its third government shutdown of the Congress.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
The shutdown was resolved a few weeks later.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
Kelly’s attorney, Benjamin Mizer, urged the judge to shut down the Navy’s review because Hegseth’s public statements had put his thumb on the scales.
—Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The Seahawks shut down the New England Patriots in a 29-13 victory that earned the Seahawks their second Super Bowl title and first since 2014.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
Cite this Entry
“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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