shut-in

noun

Definition of shut-innext
1
as in recluse

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in valley

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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-in But those projections rest on several assumptions, including that shut-in oil production will peak in early April and transit through the Strait of Hormuz will improve. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 31 Mar. 2026 Production shut-ins Brent crude futures could climb to $135 per barrel if the current situation persists for four months, according to Janiv Shah, vice president of oil markets at Rystad Energy. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 9 Mar. 2026 Her brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), is an agoraphobic shut-in failing to confront his mounting mental-health crises. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025 That means overcoming Ella’s hostility and bridging the divide with her uncommunicative kid brother Casey (Spike Fearn), an MIT graduate who has become an agoraphobic shut-in since his breakup with beloved girlfriend Susan (Ayo Edebiri). — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shut-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shut-in
  1. recluse
  2. valley
  3. hermit
  4. hollow
  5. homebody
  6. vale
  7. gorge
  8. glen
Noun
  • However, the brown recluse and black widow spiders do have dangerous venom.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026
  • And over the years, this utopian town, which at the beginning looked great, has completely crumbled into a world of recluses and hoarders.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of recluse
Noun
  • Brown lost the valley, and the race, to Bernie Moreno, a luxury-car dealer from suburban Cleveland, in the most expensive non-Presidential election in American history, according to AdImpact.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The magazine, which is celebrating 50 years as the leading voice in luxury, held an invitation-only gathering in the increasingly upscale mountain valley to spotlight this year’s top honorees.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of valley
Noun
  • In The Death of Robin Hood, Hugh Jackman plays the bandit of Nottingham, aged and retired to a hermit's life in the wilderness.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The hermit in me liked to stay home, the little vampire loved to step out.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of hermit
Noun
  • The hollow of its nose had been fitted with a small black cage in which the bat—his bat, their bat, his and the dog’s—was crashing around.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Over a career spanning five decades, von Rydingsvard transformed humble four-by-four chunks of wood into towering shapes whose puzzling bumps and hollows gave them the aura of ancient living beings.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of hollow
Noun
  • The spring 2027 collection was a great starting point for this homebody who still looks right at home in the fashion circus.
    — Alice Newbold, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Carle is more of a homebody, sticking closer to Sierra Chincua and often staying in its forests.
    — Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of homebody
Noun
  • Her journey takes her to the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love and reinvention.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2026
  • But Mary’s journey takes her far beyond that familiar estate — to the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love and reinvention.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Definition of vale
Noun
  • Often called the Grand Canyon of the East, the park is known for its dramatic Genesee River gorge, cliffs reaching 600 feet, and three major waterfalls.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The Ivy League college where fraternities throw parties in towering mansions and students weave between deep gorges on their way to class is being rocked over the handling of rape allegations from 2024.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of gorge
Noun
  • Set in the modern Scottish Highlands, Laird is an epic family saga in which a proud Scot, Drummoch (Branagh), defies a shadowy American billionaire, Peter Bergstrom (Sarsgaard), hellbent on buying up the glens.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Travelers familiar with Scotland’s Isle of Skye may recognize this recipe for remote luxury, though rather than craggy cliffs and emerald-green glens, Noirmoutier is closer to a little slice of California.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of glen

Browse Nearby Words

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

Cite this Entry

“Shut-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shut-in. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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