shut up

verb

Definition of shut upnext
1
as in to dry up
to stop talking you have no right to tell the rest of us to shut up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shush
to stop the noise or speech of nothing I said would shut them up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shut up Ted Cruz tells moderate Republicans to 'shut up' and support PaxtonNeed a news break? — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Commentators hungry for superstar validation of their culture war were calling her silence a moral failure, and some of them were the same people who, in previous news cycles, had insisted that athletes needed to shut up. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Ferragosto on August 15 is when all Italians down tools, shut up shop, and head for the coast. — Catherine Fairweather, Air Mail, 15 Aug. 2026 Layoffs in the gaming industry have seen almost 60,000 roles cut worldwide since 2022; multiple studios and publishers have shut up shop for good. — David Prosser, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shut up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shut up
  1. dry up
  2. shush
  3. hush
  4. silence
  5. clam up
  6. quiet
  7. belt up
  8. mute
Verb
  • Yet Kyiv’s stockpile has dried up as the United States husbands an arsenal that has been significantly depleted by the Iran war.
    — Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The foreign money and visitors could dry up, however, if the Saudis prove incapable of defending themselves from Houthi attacks.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dry up
Verb
  • They were repeatedly shushed instead as the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3) fell to 13-10 in their marquee event after failing to keep pace with a USC offense that averaged nearly eight yards per play through the first three quarters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026
  • His interactions with Daemon (Matt Smith) last season, going so far as to shush him at one point, were a breath of fresh air.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of shush
Verb
  • The lounge is a real scene, especially during afternoon tea, when a perfectly coiffed crowd has hushed discussions about worldly matters.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The park has already taken some steps to hush their new attraction.
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hush
Verb
  • Meta has aggressively moved to silence another recent whistleblower, former public policy director Sarah Wynn-Williams, taking legal action to stop her from promoting her memoir about her time at the company, Careless People.
    — Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Rights groups have, however, accused the country of sportswashing to cover up its reputation for silencing critics, including accusations of killings and disappearances, allegations the government denies.
    — Damian Zane, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of silence
Verb
  • Anyone asked by local or national media over the past few months if they’d been invited to the nuptials clammed up quickly.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
  • On Israel, a lot of candidates have clammed up.
    — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Definition of clam up
Verb
  • It’s been a tumultuous journey but coming to Atlanta this season has been the perfect move for the three-time All-Star, whose accomplishments this year have quieted many of her critics.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • And while those stories will live on forever, DeBoer is still working to quiet the noise that comes with every decision made regarding his football team.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of quiet
Verb
  • The Paramount+ streaming event finds two UFC belts up for grabs at the top of the card.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Going back home Sunday looks nice, except for the Lake Effect Snow belt up in New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
    — Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of belt up
Verb
  • Shot on England’s coasts and countryside, the film favors muted costumes, no makeup and quiet, lingering scenes, presenting Austen’s young women as emotionally immediate and recognizably modern.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Looming in the medium-term future is the team’s punishment, which could run from dramatic to muted.
    — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of mute

Browse Nearby Words

shutting up
shut up
shy
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Cite this Entry

“Shut up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shut%20up. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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