1
as in closing
to position (something) so as to prevent passage through an opening
please shut the door when you leave
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in closing (down)
to stop the operations of
shut both stores for a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shutting
The Yanbu route only partly offsets the hit to supply from shutting Hormuz, through which about 15 million barrels a day of crude shipments passed before the war.
—
Emma Ross-Thomas, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is far harder than shutting it, The New York Times notes.
—Clay Chandler, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
In January, Meta fired 10 percent of the Reality Labs unit, or about 1,500 employees, and this month waffled on shutting the whole thing down.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
As crowds grew, police began to take a more active role in shutting them down.
—Ryan Nickerson, Houston Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
If the plan had been to run the Kennedy Center into the ground so completely that shutting it down was the only option, Grenell aced the assignment.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
Intersectionality – a concept originally designed to show how different forms of disadvantage overlap – is now regularly used to justify shutting Jews out of progressive coalitions and solidarity campaigns.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The projects that Kelly promised the city earlier this year were among numerous bridge closures shutting parts of inner KCK off from neighboring communities.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
As shown below, both tucked in to form a back six at times — shutting Arsenal down in wide areas in a similar manner to their most recent opponents, Bayer Leverkusen, in the midweek Champions League clash.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Emma Ross-Thomas, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is far harder than shutting it, The New York Times notes.
—Clay Chandler, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
In January, Meta fired 10 percent of the Reality Labs unit, or about 1,500 employees, and this month waffled on shutting the whole thing down.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
As crowds grew, police began to take a more active role in shutting them down.
—Ryan Nickerson, Houston Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
If the plan had been to run the Kennedy Center into the ground so completely that shutting it down was the only option, Grenell aced the assignment.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
Intersectionality – a concept originally designed to show how different forms of disadvantage overlap – is now regularly used to justify shutting Jews out of progressive coalitions and solidarity campaigns.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The projects that Kelly promised the city earlier this year were among numerous bridge closures shutting parts of inner KCK off from neighboring communities.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
As shown below, both tucked in to form a back six at times — shutting Arsenal down in wide areas in a similar manner to their most recent opponents, Bayer Leverkusen, in the midweek Champions League clash.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shutting
Verb
-
Industrie Africa, the continent’s leading online multi-brand fashion retailer, is closing down just five years after launch, highlighting the volatility of the current e-commerce model on a regional and global scale.—
Ezreen Benissan,
Vogue,
2 Apr. 2026
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Other tips include not leaving pet food outside, not touching or feeding free-roaming animals, keeping yard landscaping trimmed, keeping lids on trash containers, and closing home crawlspaces.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This anti-theft bag converts from tote to crossbody to backpack and is packed with smart security features, including RFID-blocking pockets, locking zippers, and a chair-lock loop.—
Aly Walansky,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shutting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutting. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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