shut out

Idioms  

1. Exclude, deny entry to, block, as in Anyone convicted of a crime is shut out from the legal profession , or These curtains shut out all the light . [Late 1300s]

2. Prevent an opponent from scoring, as in They were shut out of the last two games , or Reagan shut out Ford in the Texas primary in 1976. Originating in baseball about 1880, this usage was later transferred to other sports and then even broader usage.

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Example Sentences

After proving herself wrong, she has gone on to write a book partly about her experiences entitled My Body is a Meadow, about reclaiming the natural world for all who feel shut out from it.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

While you’ve been shut out, they have made aircraft carrier-loads of money, and that’s just wrong.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

But in regions like New York City, strict regulations against short-term rentals have shut out potential hosts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Shohei Ohtani strikes out seven in six innings, but Jack Dreyer gives up a three-run homer and Giants shut out the Dodgers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Instead of entering the White House—a place of power—Paul wanted the suffragists to stand outside, showing that they had been unjustly shut out of the political process.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling