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

In 2023, campaigners reported the case to the police on behalf of the affected actors, directors and producers, which led to the subreddit being closed down.

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Among those was an elderly man who calmly said he wanted to close down an account.

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is closing down some of his last remaining known business interests, including Pitch@Palace Global Ltd.

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In 2015, Wylfa's last reactor was closed down and it began the long process of being decommissioned, ending 44 years of operations at the site.

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Shares sold off in the wake of the announcement, closing down 1.4% on Friday.

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Related Words

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