shut (in or up)

verb

Definition of shut (in or up)next
as in to bottle (up)

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shut (in or up)
  1. restrain
  2. contain
Verb
  • Gulf states push China to restrain Iran Gulf states are pushing for China to rein in Iran as doubts grow about the US’ ability to end the five-month conflict.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Jor’Dell Richardson was lying face up on the ground with two officers restraining at least one of his hands when another officer shot him in the stomach.
    — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of restrain
Verb
  • Aid agencies say mistrust, misinformation about Ebola, and resistance to restrictions on traditional burial practices have fueled hostility toward health workers and complicated efforts to contain the outbreak.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • While conducting a raid on his home Monday, federal agents seized 14 devices, including a hard drive and USB drive containing child pornography.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of contain
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

shut-in
shut (in or up)
shut-ins
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shut (in or up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shut%20%28in%20or%20up%29. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All