close down

/ kləʊz /

verb

1. to cease or cause to cease operations

   the shop closed down

2. (tr) sport to mark or move towards (an opposing player) in order to prevent him or her running with the ball or making or receiving a pass

noun

1. a closure or stoppage of operations, esp in a factory

2. radio television the end of a period of broadcasting, esp late at night

Idioms and Phrases

Also, close one's doors ; shut down . Go out of business, end operations. For example, If the rent goes up we'll have to close down , or After fifty years in business the store finally closed its doors , or The warehouse had a clearance sale the month before it shut down for good . Also see close up , def. 2.

Force someone to go out of business, as in The police raided the porn shop and closed it down . Both usages date from the early 1900s, but shut down was first recorded in 1877.

Example Sentences

Others elsewhere in the world closed down major publications and even turned a blind eye to the killing of journalists.

From Salon

The News of the World was closed down in 2011, after it emerged journalists at the paper had hacked phones of public figures in an effort to obtain exclusive stories.

From BBC

According to Jay, the hostel, which has since closed down, did not carry out full background checks on residents.

From BBC

In the space of 18 months recently it lost another 1,200 jobs as several major employers closed down or relocated.

From BBC

Cash is a lifeline to many survivors because it was the only way to escape abusers who can monitor online transactions, withhold bank cards and close down bank accounts, she says.

From BBC

Related Words

• adjourn 
• arrest 
• bar 
• block 
• break off 
• cease 
• curb 
• deter 
• end 
• hamper 
• impede 
• interrupt 
• stall 
• stem 
• stop 
• suspend 
• terminate