1
: one that shuts
2
: a usually movable cover or screen for a window or door
3
: a mechanical device that limits the passage of light
especially
: a camera component that allows light to enter by opening and closing an aperture
4
: the movable louvers in a pipe organ by which the swell box is opened
shuttered; shuttering; shutters
1
: to close by or as if by shutters
corporations shuttering their production plants
2
: to furnish with shutters
Examples of shutter in a Sentence
Verb
They locked the doors and shuttered the windows.
They declared bankruptcy and shuttered the store.
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Safra’s Monaco residence had state-of-the-art security as well as bulletproof glass and steel shutters on every window, according to Dateline.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025
The area northeast of Lowman is sometimes called Avalanche Alley because of the steep terrain and dozens of avalanche paths that can shutter that portion of the highway in the winter.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutter
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Noun
Everton’s move to a new stadium, two miles west, has had such an impact on business that the Winslow’s general manager, Dave Bond, is to pull down the blue shutters for good.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
Safra’s Monaco residence had state-of-the-art security as well as bulletproof glass and steel shutters on every window, according to Dateline.
—Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Verb
While his directive has effectively shuttered federal offices for a rare five-day weekend, the rest of the economy is operating in a state of partial suspension, leading to a confusing situation about who, exactly, is back to business today.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025
The area northeast of Lowman is sometimes called Avalanche Alley because of the steep terrain and dozens of avalanche paths that can shutter that portion of the highway in the winter.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shutter
Cite this Entry
“Shutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutter. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shutter
1 of 2 noun
shut·ter
ˈshət-ər 
1
: a movable cover for a window that swings on hinges like a door
2
: a device in a camera that opens to allow light to enter when a picture is taken
shutter
2 of 2 verb
: to close with or by shutters
kept the house shuttered
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