1
as in ending
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
threatened to shut off peace talks if the other side kept making unreasonable demands
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turning off
to cause to stop functioning
shut off the computer to save electricity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shutting off
Slip on an eye mask and feel your way through a wall of surprise elements like robber gorilla hands, fuzzy fabric, and sneakers, shutting off one sense and heightening another.
—
Liz Regalia, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Like clockwork, the City of Boston released its annual payroll just before shutting off the lights for the month.
—Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
If the patient moves, the system can react instantly, shutting off the beam to help prevent harm to healthy tissue, according to a press release.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026
When the construction project starts next year, the road into the basin will be closed, shutting off access to the area.
—Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Jan. 2026
The plan discussed in committee would also create parameters for providers shutting off water service to residents.
—Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
At one point, customers heard a rumor that SDG&E was shutting off electricity to the building — an alarming development that would have left the business’s freezers without power.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Audrey Hepburn plays a blind woman who manages to thwart intruders by shutting off all the lights in her apartment.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Like houses slowly shutting off their lights as a town falls into slumber, the brain gradually turns to night mode.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
Liz Regalia, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
Like clockwork, the City of Boston released its annual payroll just before shutting off the lights for the month.
—Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
If the patient moves, the system can react instantly, shutting off the beam to help prevent harm to healthy tissue, according to a press release.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026
When the construction project starts next year, the road into the basin will be closed, shutting off access to the area.
—Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Jan. 2026
The plan discussed in committee would also create parameters for providers shutting off water service to residents.
—Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 29 Oct. 2025
At one point, customers heard a rumor that SDG&E was shutting off electricity to the building — an alarming development that would have left the business’s freezers without power.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Audrey Hepburn plays a blind woman who manages to thwart intruders by shutting off all the lights in her apartment.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Like houses slowly shutting off their lights as a town falls into slumber, the brain gradually turns to night mode.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shutting off
Verb
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The cliffhanger ending is jaw-droppingly intense, but there is also an emotional fallout for Scarpetta and her family.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Pinch-hitter Logan Wade followed with a game-ending popout to Moon, and the first baseman threw his glove high in celebration.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kids can't absorb too many rules without turning off and tuning out.—
Barrie Gillies,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
-
But the department has struggled to keep tabs on whether officers are breaking the rules by turning off their cameras during public encounters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rather than stopping disagreements from happening, this aspect is about repairing any damage left behind.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Tuesday’s game featured intentional clock-stopping, game-extending fouls by the Heat.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Three glide bombs struck the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing four people, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said Tuesday.—
HANNA ARHIROVA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
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Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The White House budget chief’s reported aversion to seeing the deficit widen further on the back of a bigger military bill highlights a phenomenon observed by historian Niall Ferguson, who has said any great power that spends more on debt servicing than on defense risks ceasing to be a great power.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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Please keep praying without ceasing.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The competitive picture could swing again in Shanghai next week at the Chinese GP, as Melbourne was one of a small group of tracks where the engines are particularly starved of energy due to a lack of braking zones.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Another teaches panic braking techniques, allowing students to activate a vehicle's anti-lock braking system, or ABS, to stop safely.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His comments came after Putin asked the government and companies to consider halting gas supplies to the European market without waiting for an import ban.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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That’s massively good news after his 2023 season ended early thanks to a ruptured Achilles in Week 12, halting what was looking to be his best professional season.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The United Arab Emirates is considering cutting off Iranian access to billions of dollars held in the Gulf state, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
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And people very quickly begin to think about cutting off electricity, cutting off water, damage to their cities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shutting off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutting%20off. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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