shut-off
noun
a device that shuts something off, esp a machine control
shut-off
Britishnoun
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a device that shuts something off, esp a machine control
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a stoppage or cessation
verb
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to stem the flow of
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to block off the passage through
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to isolate or separate
shut off
Idioms
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Stop the flow or passage of, as in They shut off the water while repairs were being made . [Early 1800s]
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Close off, isolate, as in Loners shut themselves off from the community . [First half of 1800s]
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.
See Examples For:
An extended shut-off of jet fuel and diesel from the Middle East into the global market could pit the fuel-poor U.S. coasts against Europe and Asia for supplies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
But the gas is still off and electricity bills keep mounting this winter, leaving her in fear of another shut-off.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026
America’s workplaces have been getting safer for more than a century now—cleaner, fewer fire risks, auto shut-off switches on tools, and even eye goggles and steel-toed boots.
From Barron's ● Nov. 15, 2025
This is the second power shut-off in as many days in the area, a peninsula about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles famous for its sea breezes, gorgeous views, and expensive homes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2024
It keeps talking, like a boat motor with no shut-off valve, saying more stuff I want him to know, even though most of me knows he doesn’t care.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
But in the meantime, the plant formerly known as Ilva has been ordered to shut off its blast furnaces by October 28 due to the presence of asbestos and illegal levels of fine airborne particles.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Some systems therefore appear to have shut off their jets only recently, while others have been evolving without active jets for much longer.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Many households on the Caribbean island have been split into two groups - with each having their water supply shut off for 48 hours on a rotating basis.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
A burst pipe in Beverly Grove sent water flowing down the street on Sunday morning, threatening parked vehicles and forcing some water services in the area to be shut off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Russell shut off the engine, but we didn’t get out.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
