shutting up

Definition of shutting upnext
present participle of shut up

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shutting up And this team is taking a particular delight in shutting up and shutting down their rivals. Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026 Sky News is shutting up shop on its dedicated business show after more than a decade. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shutting up
Verb
  • Elsewhere, lakes are drying up, and dams are flooding millennia-old villages and historic sites.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Climate change itself has become a major risk factor, with heatwaves disabling power plants and droughts drying up hydro reservoirs.
    Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Levy sat on the floor, watching like a proud father and shushing whisperers.
    Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Top sleep aid for kids This extremely popular sound machine uses an authentic human voice to calm babies to sleep with a calming, shushing sound.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Russia has massively ramped up a campaign of silencing critics since launching its offensive on Ukraine in 2022.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Instead, activists say, officials have moved to censor discussion of the issue, blocking searches and silencing those who have tried to warn women or press for action.
    New York Times, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Less sweat-trapping than many synthetic jackets, the Oreus kept me from clamming up while ski-touring in five-degree temps and dissipated sweat quickly when worn after strenuous climbs.
    Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The two-year war that followed had a muting effect on deals between Israel and the UAE, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza created a PR catastrophe for Israelis in the Gulf.
    Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
  • For much of the past year, neither side was willing to budge much from their respective stance, effectively muting any chance of a settlement.
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Ireland, the Steelers and the Rooney connection The Rooney family, the Steelers’ majority owners, trace their roots to Ireland, where their ancestors emigrated from in the 1840s before eventually settling in Pittsburgh.
    Tom Chitty, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Tripp’s writing has become less brutally pointed as his music has become looser, settling into a form of vibey psych-rock that’s nearly unrecognizable from Angel Du$t’s Ramones-via-Bad Brains origins.
    Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Kimmel quotes from one popular manual, published in 1916, that advised quieting a crying baby by flipping it over and administering a vigorous spanking.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Ball collided hard with Lee and both crumpled quickly to the floor, quieting the arena while many looked on anxiously.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • There are a lot of ways to declutter out there—the pile method and the discernment method are two of them, and now, everyone’s hushing their house.
    Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2025
  • Unfortunately, the austerity and elegance of the downstairs dining room acts as a dampener, hushing the salad’s brashness and sapping much of the fun.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shutting up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutting%20up. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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