as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
the utility company threatened them with the shutoff of electricity if the bills weren't paid
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Recent Examples of shutoffs
Due to the critical fire weather conditions, Pacific Gas and Electric warned that Northern California customers will likely see power shutoffs Wednesday and Thursday in multiple counties.
—
Jose Fabian, CBS News, 10 June 2026
The areas at risk for power shutoffs include Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo counties.
—Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026
No end time for the shutoffs has been announced.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Since 2014, 170,000 Detroiters have been met with water shutoffs for unpaid bills.
—Nicole Van Lier, The Conversation, 13 May 2026
Most states, albeit inconsistently, restrict winter shutoffs for heating.
—Anthony Nicome, STAT, 13 May 2026
Developed from firsthand experience in emergency response, its mission is to make critical information, such as utility shutoffs, appliance details, and maintenance records, accessible and shareable among those who rely on it.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The fierce Santa Ana winds blowing dry desert air over the mountains and out to sea had already triggered public safety power shutoffs.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Some 3,300 customers in the Malibu area remained without power, due to safety shutoffs and for firefighter safety.
—Christopher Weber, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Jose Fabian, CBS News, 10 June 2026
The areas at risk for power shutoffs include Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo counties.
—Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026
No end time for the shutoffs has been announced.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Since 2014, 170,000 Detroiters have been met with water shutoffs for unpaid bills.
—Nicole Van Lier, The Conversation, 13 May 2026
Most states, albeit inconsistently, restrict winter shutoffs for heating.
—Anthony Nicome, STAT, 13 May 2026
Developed from firsthand experience in emergency response, its mission is to make critical information, such as utility shutoffs, appliance details, and maintenance records, accessible and shareable among those who rely on it.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The fierce Santa Ana winds blowing dry desert air over the mountains and out to sea had already triggered public safety power shutoffs.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Some 3,300 customers in the Malibu area remained without power, due to safety shutoffs and for firefighter safety.
—Christopher Weber, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shutoffs
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
-
In practice the printer ran for about 3 months (including setup and halts), whereas a traditional cast bridge might have taken 3–4 times longer.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
Former leaders warn that the loss of institutional knowledge, combined with halts to the incoming pipeline of public health workers, may lead to a long-term crisis.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Parents are choosing names with softer sounds and vowel endings such as Alonso, Ilyas, Amos, and Lennon for boys, and Rhea, Rosalina, Aura, Ines, and Zeina for girls.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
The end of Dexter is so widely hated that it’s considered by many to be among the worst TV show endings ever.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
But questions still remain about how contemporary works will fare in a market that has also seen a number of gallery closures.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
16 June 2026
-
In some Asian and African countries that rely more on oil from the Middle East, the supply shock led to school and government office closures and instructions to work from home, according to the International Energy Agency.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Intermittent road shutdowns or detours may pop up.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
-
Even then, there were significant differences in patterns among cities (and intra-city neighborhoods) in terms of how cities recovered from the shutdowns.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The 6-6 playmaker displayed his versatility on both ends, knocking down shots, creating for teammates and making an impact defensively against top competition from around the world.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
But Karaban is known as a winning basketball player who can contribute on both ends of the court, and is likely more ready to contribute productive minutes in the NBA than the younger prospects in the Heat’s range.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
In fact, for the two 45-minute halves, there were practically no stoppages of play for anything.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
At the end of each half, however, there will be added time to make up for stoppages in play — such as when a player is injured, or there is a lengthy replay review — when the clock keeps running.—
Kierra Frazier,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shutoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutoffs. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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