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
Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
As expected, Tuesday’s report showed an unusually high spike in housing prices that was effectively a methodology hangover from the most recent federal government shutdown.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
Rohan Raja was a major player on the tag team scene for WWE NXT UK before the brand shut down and folded into the current state of NXT programming.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shutdown
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Noun
The Senate unanimously approved a resolution to withhold lawmakers’ pay during government shutdowns, aiming to encourage faster resolution of federal budget impasses after record-breaking closures.
—Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
As expected, Tuesday’s report showed an unusually high spike in housing prices that was effectively a methodology hangover from the most recent federal government shutdown.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Verb
Most of the schools that have shut down are, like Mills, small, private institutions.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
Rohan Raja was a major player on the tag team scene for WWE NXT UK before the brand shut down and folded into the current state of NXT programming.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 May 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 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutdown
noun
shut·down
ˈshət-ˌdau̇n 
: an ending of an activity
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