close down
Britishverb
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to cease or cause to cease operations
the shop closed down
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(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
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a closure or stoppage of operations, esp in a factory
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radio television the end of a period of broadcasting, esp late at night
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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.
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pressure creeps up gradually, almost imperceptible day to day, tormenting inhabitants with uncertainty as they watch their city close down around them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Some dedicated cake shedders say if this happens they could be forced to close down.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
When The Cure tried the same thing to close down Sunday, the sound was cut earlier.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
“Since my decision to close down the fund and to return outside capital…” Hmm.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
The reason for this was that the toothpaste factory, the place where Mr. Bucket worked, suddenly went bust and had to close down.
From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
