shut down; shutting down; shuts down
: to settle so as to obscure vision : close in
the night shut down early
: to make ineffective in competition
shut down the opposition's offensive line
Examples of shutdown in a Sentence
Noun
the shutdown of the factory
the factory resumed operation after a brief shutdown for repairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
According to The Economist, the shutdown created a 14 million b/d shortfall.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down a food truck in Volusia County for health code violations during the week from June 7-13.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
Because millions were depending on it, SNAP became a focal point of the 43-day government shutdown last year.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
According to The Economist, the shutdown created a 14 million b/d shortfall.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Verb
One person was killed and five others were injured after the plane crashed on Laredo’s Loop 20 highway, shutting down traffic in both directions and strewing debris across multiple lanes.
—Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down a food truck in Volusia County for health code violations during the week from June 7-13.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
Cite this Entry
“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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