close off

phrasal verb

closed off; closing off; closes off

: to not allow (something) to be used for a period of time : close

The city closed off the beach to tourists.

Half of the museum was closed off while they made the changes.

—sometimes used figuratively

He closes himself off to new experiences.

Examples of close off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

But most of that is over now, and the future looks fairly bleak, with Europe closing off its markets to Russian markets and NASA and Roscosmos likely ending their space station partnership by 2030. —

Ars Technica, 12 Feb. 2025 Other must-haves included enlarging all the closets; closing off impractical doorways; and reconstructing the slanted utility room that ran the length of the back of the home to create a primary bath, walk-in closet, and spacious multi-purpose laundry room. —

Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2025 Following that attack, Israel launched several ground and air operations in Gaza and closed off essential aid access points. —

Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025 Since then, the authorities have closed off the town and kept out those who live here. —

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for close off