shut off

verb

shut off; shutting off; shuts off

transitive verb

1

: to close off : separate

—usually used with from

shut off from the rest of the world

2

a

: to cut off (a flow or passage) : stop

shuts off the oxygen supply

b

: to stop the operation of (something, such as a machine)

shut the motor off

intransitive verb

: to cease operating : stop

shuts off automatically

Synonyms of shut off

• stop
• cease
• halt
• end
• cut off
• quit
• lay off
• cut out
• leave off

Examples of shut off in a Sentence

threatened to shut off peace talks if the other side kept making unreasonable demands

shut off the computer to save electricity

Recent Examples on the Web

While both campgrounds remain open year-round, water is shut off and restrooms are closed between October and April. —Taryn Shorr-McKee, Midwest Living, 4 June 2026

Grossman continued driving after hitting the boys, eventually stopping about a quarter-mile from the scene when her vehicle automatically shut off. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 4 June 2026

Vandenbusche was able to ride a vehicle up the tunnel when the water was shut off for work one year in the 70s. —Alan Gionet, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Often condo towers will shut off their cooling towers, which keep the AC running, for safety during a hurricane. —Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 30 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for shut off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

shutoff

1 of 2 noun

shut·​off ˈshət-ˌȯf 

1

: something that shuts off

2

: an instance of shutting off : interruption, stoppage

shut off

2 of 2 verb

ˌshət-ˈȯf

1

: to stop the flow of

shut off the water

2

a

: to stop the operation of

shut the motor off

b

: to cease operating

the light shuts off automatically

3

: to make or keep separate

shut off from the rest of the world