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View synonyms for shut

shut

[shuht]

verb (used with object)

shut, shutting 
  1. to put (a door, cover, etc.) in position to close or obstruct.

    Antonyms: open
  2. to close the doors of (often followed byup ).

    to shut up a shop for the night.

  3. to close (something) by bringing together or folding its parts.

    Shut your book. Shut the window!

  4. to confine; enclose.

    to shut a bird into a cage.

    Synonyms: cage, imprison, jail
  5. to bar; exclude.

    They shut him from their circle.

    Synonyms: prohibit
  6. to cause (a factory, school, etc.) to end or suspend operations, services, or business activity.

    He shut his store, sold his house, and moved away.

    We're shutting the office for two weeks in June.

  7. to bolt; bar.



verb (used without object)

shut, shutting 
  1. to become shut or closed; close.

adjective

  1. closed; fastened up.

    a shut door.

  2. Phonetics.,  checked.

noun

  1. the act or time of shutting or closing.

  2. the line where two pieces of welded metal are united.

verb phrase

  1. shut off

    1. to stop the passage of (water, traffic, electricity, etc.); close off.

    2. to isolate; separate.

      an outpost almost completely shut off from civilization.

  2. shut in

    1. to enclose.

    2. to confine, as from illness.

      She broke her leg in a fall and has been shut in for several weeks.

  3. shut up

    1. to imprison; confine.

    2. to close entirely.

    3. Informal.,  to stop talking; become silent (often used as a rude command).

      Just sit down and shut up! I thought the neighbors would never shut up and let me sleep.

    4. Informal.,  to stop (someone) from talking; silence.

    5. Informal.,  (used to express disbelief or astonishment).

      You dated her in high school? Shut up!

  4. shut down

    1. to close, especially temporarily; end or suspend operations, services, or business activity.

    2. to stop operating or stop the operation of (a machine).

      Did you remember to shut down your computer?

    3. Informal.,  Also shut down onupon to hinder; check; stop from doing or saying something.

      He appeared on the talk show to shut down his critics.

    4. Informal.,  to defeat or outdo.

      The team was able to shut down the offense.

    5. to settle over a place so as to envelop or darken it.

      The fog shut down rapidly.

  5. shut of,  free of; rid of.

    He wished he were shut of all his debts.

  6. shut out

    1. to keep from entering; exclude.

    2. to hide from view.

    3. to prevent (an opponent or opposing team) from scoring, as in a game of baseball.

shut

/ ʃʌt /

verb

  1. to move (something) so as to cover an aperture; close

    to shut a door

  2. to close (something) by bringing together the parts

    to shut a book

  3. to close or lock the doors of

    to shut up a house

  4. (tr; foll by in, out, etc) to confine, enclose, or exclude

    to shut a child in a room

  5. (tr) to prevent (a business, etc) from operating

  6. to ignore deliberately

    1. to refuse to think about

    2. to render impossible

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. closed or fastened

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act or time of shutting

  2. the line along which pieces of metal are welded

  3. slang,  to get rid of

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • half-shut adjective
  • reshut verb reshut, reshutting
  • unshut adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shut1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English s(c)hutten, s(c)hetten, s(c)hitten Old English scyttan “to bolt (a door)”; akin to shoot 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shut1

Old English scyttan; related to Old Frisian sketta to shut in, Middle Dutch schutten to obstruct
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Idioms and Phrases

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Synonym Study

See close.
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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Manchester United coach Marc Skinner was quick to shut down an obvious line of questioning around his match-winner Maya Le Tissier after the club's Champions League debut.

Read more on BBC

In one ad, what appears to be an excited social media influencer says insurance companies are trying to shut down Case Connect because its “compensation calculator” is costing insurance companies so much.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But the doors were slammed shut in her face.

Read more on Salon

If rain is expected, pack appropriately, but also know that the Conservancy does shut down the trails and roads if the conditions seem dangerous.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Fearing fire, the nonprofit shut down the interior of the island and canceled all ecotours.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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