shutdown

1 of 2

noun

shut·​down ˈshət-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce shutdown (audio)
: the cessation or suspension of an operation or activity

shut down

2 of 2

verb

shut down; shutting down; shuts down

intransitive verb

: to settle so as to obscure vision : close in
the night shut down early

transitive verb

: to make ineffective in competition
shut down the opposition's offensive line

Examples of shutdown in a Sentence

Noun the shutdown of the factory the factory resumed operation after a brief shutdown for repairs
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.
Noun
The company’s Los Angeles refinery may face a similar fate as a San Francisco-area plant that is slated for permanent shutdown by this time next year, executives said during a conference call with investors. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2025 The lawmaker pledged to continue making the case for the importance of the Department of Education despite extreme overhauls on the horizon of a complete shutdown. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
When news about Alhurra filtered out — along with talk that even MBN might shut down — many observers saw it as an own goal, a misguided rollback of U.S. soft power in the Middle East. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025 And the 28-year-old repaid all that trust in full, giving his best performance of the season, sitting alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and shutting down almost every single Bodo/Glimt attack. Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for shutdown

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1888, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1779, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of shutdown was in 1779

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shutdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutdown. Accessed 8 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

shutdown

noun
shut·​down ˈshət-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce shutdown (audio)
: an ending of an activity

More from Merriam-Webster on shutdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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