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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 shutoffs
White and area emergency management officials said Xcel has made improvements since then and worked more closely with local governments during the latest shutoffs.
—
Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
After four Xcel power shutoffs in the past nine months, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is taking action.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
The bill also orders utilities to implement low-income financial assistance programs and creates a moratorium for electricity shutoffs during warmer weather.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 29 Jan. 2026
Those forms would help volunteers gather information needed to verify people’s situations — an eviction, utility shutoffs, or food stamps, among other issues — to make sure the nonprofit could help them.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Dec. 2025
It’s also made with fireproof materials and has built-in safety shutoffs to protect against tip-overs and overheating.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 3 Dec. 2025
In Pennsylvania, utility companies, including Ray's, have promised to suspend shutoffs for certain customers during November because of the shutdown.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
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
Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
After four Xcel power shutoffs in the past nine months, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is taking action.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
The bill also orders utilities to implement low-income financial assistance programs and creates a moratorium for electricity shutoffs during warmer weather.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 29 Jan. 2026
Those forms would help volunteers gather information needed to verify people’s situations — an eviction, utility shutoffs, or food stamps, among other issues — to make sure the nonprofit could help them.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Dec. 2025
It’s also made with fireproof materials and has built-in safety shutoffs to protect against tip-overs and overheating.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 3 Dec. 2025
In Pennsylvania, utility companies, including Ray's, have promised to suspend shutoffs for certain customers during November because of the shutdown.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
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
-
The abrupt disruption resulted in chip shortages and production halts at several automakers.—
Sarah Jacob,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Whereas a total solar eclipse is often associated with clean breaks or definitive endings, an annular eclipse often points to processes that unfold in stages.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Astronomers are used to dramatic endings.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There also are no school closures in the current budget plan despite an enrollment decline from nearly 500,000 in 2018-19, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, to about 390,000 this year.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Major highways — including long stretches of I‑80 — have also been closed, with widespread chain controls, flight cancellations, and school closures across parts of the Sierra and western Nevada.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike in past lengthy shutdowns, air traffic controllers — a group that has played a role in ending past lapses — are funded.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Internet shutdowns, mass arrests, intimidation through mourning and fear have crushed public mobilization — while negotiations with powerful states restore the regime’s standing on the global stage.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The two are, in many ways, at opposite ends of the Democratic Party’s big tent.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Seven-foot sophomore post Matas Vokietaitis is going through some growing pains on both ends.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There's no official start time, and the time Bad Bunny takes the stage depends on clock stoppages, penalties, timeouts and injuries during the first half of the game.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
While there’s no official start time, the time Bad Bunny takes the stage will depend on clock stoppages, penalties, timeouts and injuries during the game itself.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shutoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutoffs. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
