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
Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
The shutdowns and major improvement implementations have been a signature of Eng’s time running the T, according to Transportation for Massachusetts Senior Policy Director Pete Wilson.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
The American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park in southeast Denver, which shut down in January after less than a year in business, has now agreed to pay $237,588 in back rent.
—Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
Six straight quarters of shutdown football has been their most impressive stretch by far.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
The shutdowns and major improvement implementations have been a signature of Eng’s time running the T, according to Transportation for Massachusetts Senior Policy Director Pete Wilson.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
A week before that, the agency had to shut down one of its lines and suspend service on the other.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
The American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park in southeast Denver, which shut down in January after less than a year in business, has now agreed to pay $237,588 in back rent.
—Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 24 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 1 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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