shutting up

Definition of shutting upnext
present participle of shut up

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 shutting up And this team is taking a particular delight in shutting up and shutting down their rivals. Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026 Sky News is shutting up shop on its dedicated business show after more than a decade. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shutting up
Verb
  • Climate change itself has become a major risk factor, with heatwaves disabling power plants and droughts drying up hydro reservoirs.
    Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • In 2019, lawmakers approved a moratorium on new mines to protect the aquifer — and the streams and springs that flow from it — from drying up until further studies can be done.
    Kayla Branch, The Frontier, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Top sleep aid for kids This extremely popular sound machine uses an authentic human voice to calm babies to sleep with a calming, shushing sound.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Kempe then put a gloved finger to his lips, shushing the sixth consecutive sellout crowd in Anaheim.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Russia has massively ramped up a campaign of silencing critics since launching its offensive on Ukraine in 2022.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Instead, activists say, officials have moved to censor discussion of the issue, blocking searches and silencing those who have tried to warn women or press for action.
    New York Times, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The two-year war that followed had a muting effect on deals between Israel and the UAE, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza created a PR catastrophe for Israelis in the Gulf.
    Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
  • For much of the past year, neither side was willing to budge much from their respective stance, effectively muting any chance of a settlement.
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The bidding started at $25,000 and blew past last year’s purchase of $375,000 in less than three minutes before settling at that record-breaking $550,000.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The city’s Hadhramis are descendants of the emigrants from Yemen’s Hadhramout region who began settling in Johor in the 1800s.
    Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Ball collided hard with Lee and both crumpled quickly to the floor, quieting the arena while many looked on anxiously.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Ball made eight of his nine 3-pointers after halftime, gleefully celebrating each one while quieting the crowd in his hometown.
    Janis Carr, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • There are a lot of ways to declutter out there—the pile method and the discernment method are two of them, and now, everyone’s hushing their house.
    Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
  • Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The ocean followed her, flooding the holes, extinguishing the heat.
    Tommy Orange, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Firefighters began extinguishing the flames, and immediately conducted searches for victims.
    Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shutting up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutting%20up. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!