as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
the factory resumed operation after a brief shutdown for repairs
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Recent Examples of shutdowns
In previous shutdowns, emergency funds have been used to cover the program, which serves around forty-two million Americans.
—
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
The shooting of the police officer not only caused traffic snarls but also school shutdowns.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
And after combative floor debates throughout the afternoon, Democrats blocked the advancement of a GOP bill to pay federal workers and military personnel during government shutdowns.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Internet shutdowns across Africa have doubled since 2016, new research showed, with more than 190 recorded in 41 African countries between 2016 and 2024.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Keyes noted that flight woes have helped end previous government shutdowns.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
According to analysis by FiveThirtyEight, previous shutdowns typically triggered a noticeable drop in public support.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Welke's been through government shutdowns before, but there's no end in sight for this most recent one.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Going forward, there can be no more shutdowns.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
The shooting of the police officer not only caused traffic snarls but also school shutdowns.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
And after combative floor debates throughout the afternoon, Democrats blocked the advancement of a GOP bill to pay federal workers and military personnel during government shutdowns.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Internet shutdowns across Africa have doubled since 2016, new research showed, with more than 190 recorded in 41 African countries between 2016 and 2024.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Keyes noted that flight woes have helped end previous government shutdowns.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
According to analysis by FiveThirtyEight, previous shutdowns typically triggered a noticeable drop in public support.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Welke's been through government shutdowns before, but there's no end in sight for this most recent one.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Going forward, there can be no more shutdowns.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shutdowns
Noun
-
Temporary cessations of hostility, but no permanent closing of the moral and social divide between debtor and creditor, and no giving up on the thought that some lives matter more than others.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Conflict in Yemen has prompted air traffic halts — leaving about 600 tourists stranded on a remote island.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The fact that any soliloquy halts dramatic action also poses a challenge.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
15 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Janus is the Roman god of doorways, beginnings and endings, and transitions.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Aside from the characters’ happy endings, many of the Conformity Gate clues appear in the finale’s graduation scene.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The closures have led to several lawsuits from its different landlords, demanding rent for shuttered locations.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Launched by first-generation Latina founder Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton in 2017 as a nail studio and self care destination with its flagship in SoHo, Chillhouse rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic when salon closures forced many to pursue at-home nail alternatives such as press-ons.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For years, according to Jeff Edwards, founder and CEO of Energy Control Systems, operational teams across manufacturing, packaging, and processing environments have viewed stoppages as an unavoidable cost of doing business.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
4 Dec. 2025
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The combination of maritime disruptions, nuclear tensions and the breakdown of diplomatic channels has created a combustible environment in which even routine stoppages can escalate quickly.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Bowie set his sights on the ends of the observable universe, and on places even darker.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The company’s latest model, the Saros Rover, comes with two articulated legs with wheels at their ends.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shutdowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutdowns. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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