shutdown

American  

[shuht-daun] / ˈʃʌtˌdaʊn /

noun

• shutdowns
  plural

1. a shutting down, as of a factory, school, or machine; a termination or suspension of operations, services, or business activity.

   a partial government shutdown;

   an emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor.

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shutdown British  

/ ˈʃʌtˌdaʊn /

noun

1. 1. the closing of a factory, shop, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      shutdown costs

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verb

1. to cease or cause to cease operation

2. (tr) to close by lowering

3. (tr) (of fog) to descend and envelop

4. informal (intr; foll by on or upon) to put a stop to; clamp down on

5. (tr) to reduce the power level of (a nuclear reactor) to the lowest possible value

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shutdowns
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of shutdown

1855–60, noun use of verb phrase shut down

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shutdown shutdowns

The shutdown had to happen because the buildings had become leaky and rusty and needed a complete overhaul.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Some of the U.S. refineries slated for closure may have gone through initial shutdown studies a decade or more ago, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

Tom Brown, an Anthropic co-founder and chief compute officer at the company, has been leading many interactions with the administration after helping resolve the shutdown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

Fox’s own Washington bureau chief, Bryan Boughton, who happened to be chairing the pool this week, sent the note announcing the shutdown.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

The result was an almost complete shutdown of the city.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

More companies have sought to brace their supply chains against disruptions such as extreme weather, shipping delays and factory shutdowns since the Covid-19 pandemic, including by manufacturing goods closer to consumers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Taylor revealed on Disney’s “Get Real” podcast that the show would address the fallout from the production shutdowns: “It’s no secret that MomTok has been going through some drama this year,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

"The cell phone data we used was made available to researchers during the pandemic to help reveal the impacts of COVID-19 shutdowns," said co-lead author Scott Yanco, a research ecologist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Outside the Gravelines plant, the largest in Western Europe, the shutdowns or production reductions affecting other reactors are linked to extreme heat and droughts, depriving the plants of the water they need for cooling.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

As a result, the economy has been officially reported to suffer enormous losses through production shutdowns, substitutions of materials that lower quality and increase costs, and hoarding of scarce materials.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Violeta D. Baluyut

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Related Words

• closedown
• closure
• stoppage

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