SHUTDOWNS Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

shutdowns

noun

plural of shutdown

as in cessations

the stopping of a process or activity the factory resumed operation after a brief shutdown for repairs

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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 shutdowns Early in the pandemic, many scientists and much of the public focused on community protection through shutdowns and social distancing, and then by pinning their hopes on what many hoped would be lasting protection from vaccines or prior infection. — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 The local construction industry was still playing catch-up from the shutdowns and supply-chain issues of 2020, so contractors were in extra high demand. — Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026 Trump has repeatedly criticized Fauci's recommendations on masks, shutdowns, and other public health measures. — Nik Popli, Time, 29 July 2026 Omar introduced the bill, the Maintaining Essential Access to Lunch for Students Act, that drastically relaxed eligibility requirements for food distributors to be able to receive reimbursements during the COVID-19 school shutdowns. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 24 July 2026 Protesters reported internet shutdowns in several parts of the Indian capital, especially around Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century observatory and site for several historic protests. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 24 July 2026 Traditional biomanufacturing relies on large fermentation tanks that require significant infrastructure and periodic shutdowns between production cycles. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026 And after an ugly Congress filled with multiple shutdowns, the House is taking an increasingly confrontational approach toward the Senate. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 July 2026 The protests are continuing despite internet shutdowns and police crackdowns. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026

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

Definition of cessations

Noun

By rejecting the myth of beginning again and the idea that endings are inherently meaningful, Luiselli highlights the fascination of the middle.

— Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
The extremely popular series concluded with a whimper, as many viewed the final twist as one of the all-time worst television endings.

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026

Definition of endings

Noun

These supply-chain upheavals have mounted pressures on certain industries like aviation, where jet fuel costs have soared, and agriculture, which has dealt with shortages of key chemicals used in fertilizers as a result of Strait of Hormuz closures.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
This was the most balanced month of restaurant openings and closings so far this year, with at least 15 new restaurants and 14 closures.

— Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of closures

Noun

Telemundo, for its part, went the traditional route and did not break away for sponsor messages during the mid-half stoppages.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 July 2026
Underneath a sky of wildfire smoke and haze, the teams played through four hydration breaks, injury stoppages, oppressive summer heat and a patchy pitch.

— Meg Linehan, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of stoppages

Noun

This is an entirely true story, because Halle Berry is, in fact, a 9-year-old rescue cat, and because the lone billion-dollar franchise in the WNBA, an expansion club that tipped off in 2025, understands the means to its ends.

— Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
But if shippers and insurers perceive that Egypt’s Mediterranean facilities are not only within Iranian range but also capable of being hit, that raises the prospect of the Red Sea being restricted at both ends.

— Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of ends

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shutdown

shutdowns

shut-eye

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“Shutdowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutdowns. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of shutdowns

noun

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