shut out

1. Exclude, deny entry to, block, as in Anyone convicted of a crime is shut out from the legal profession , or These curtains shut out all the light . [Late 1300s]

2. Prevent an opponent from scoring, as in They were shut out of the last two games , or Reagan shut out Ford in the Texas primary in 1976. Originating in baseball about 1880, this usage was later transferred to other sports and then even broader usage.

Example Sentences

But other potential bidders have expressed frustration that this group of lenders has effective control of the company and has used that position to shut out rival - and, they argue, better - proposals.

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Talk of the deal circulated over the summer, and other funds asked to participate but were shut out.

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England's adeptness at shutting out the opposition is in no small part thanks to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who has established two records for his country this year.

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So too could reminding them that they have shut out Denmark in their own backyard.

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Many home buyers are shut out of the market due to elevated mortgage rates and home prices.

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