shelter in place
1 of 2phrase
: to remain inside in one's current location until a danger has passed : to temporarily take shelter in a protected space
The … campus was placed under lockdown in response to the shooting. People on campus were advised to shelter in place. No students were hurt or endangered, the school said.—
Julia Jacobo
Julia JacoboThese communities—including our own—need to start hardening themselves against future fires. That means preparing homes for fires the way we already do for earthquakes and floods. It also means developing better alert systems, heeding evacuation warnings when they come and being prepared to shelter in place when escape routes are cut off …—The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California)
The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California)
variants
or less commonly shelter in place
: instructing or requiring people to remain in their current location until a danger has passed
The governor has issued a shelter-in-place order.
: of or relating to sheltering in place
shelter-in-place drills
see also shelter in place at shelter entry 2
Examples of shelter in place in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Officials clarified the situation is not the same as a lockdown, and instead, school operations are able to continue under a shelter-in-place order while limiting access to buildings.
—Marcella Baietto, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Military officials previously reported that the base was placed under a shelter-in-place order, which was lifted several hours later, after a threat was received on March 18.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
The shelter-in-place order had covered the west side of Port Arthur from Stilwell Boulevard west to areas south of Texas 73, as well as Pleasure Island and Sabine Pass.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shelter in place
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Adjective
Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents and began to search for the suspect.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Officials clarified the situation is not the same as a lockdown, and instead, school operations are able to continue under a shelter-in-place order while limiting access to buildings.
—Marcella Baietto, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Military officials previously reported that the base was placed under a shelter-in-place order, which was lifted several hours later, after a threat was received on March 18.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
The shelter-in-place order had covered the west side of Port Arthur from Stilwell Boulevard west to areas south of Texas 73, as well as Pleasure Island and Sabine Pass.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shelter in place
Cite this Entry
“Shelter in place.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shelter%20in%20place. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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