shelter-in-place

adjective

variants or less commonly shelter in place

: instructing or requiring people to remain in their current location until a danger has passed

The governor has issued a shelter-in-place order.

: of or relating to sheltering in place

shelter-in-place drills

see also shelter in place at shelter entry 2

Examples of shelter-in-place in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several roads near East Capitol Drive and North Oakland Avenue remained closed after the shelter-in-place order was lifted. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 4 July 2025

On June 15, for example, the offices in Tel Aviv were closed as part of a shelter-in-place order in Israel. —Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025

Just before noon, the City of Brooklyn Park issued a shelter-in-place order over a 3-mile radius at the local golf course. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Law enforcement lifted a shelter-in-place order after the threat was neutralized. —David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shelter-in-place

• aromatase
• hydrogenase
• nitrogenase
• oligoclase
• oxygenase
• plagioclase
• polymerase
• streptokinase
• triphosphatase
• abase
• airspace
• apace