close up shop

phrase

: to go out of business forever or stop performing all services or activities for a period of time
Rather than closing up shop entirely, the company laid off half of its workers.
The restaurant has already closed up shop for the winter.

Examples of close up shop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Rather than close up shop and join the Mountain West, Oregon State and Washington State spent 2024 in a scheduling partnership with the Mountain West for football and with various leagues for other sports. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Rhymes for close up shop

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Browse Nearby Words

close-up
close up shop
close with
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Cite this Entry

“Close up shop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close%20up%20shop. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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