shut out
Idioms-
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]
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rowling, launches today with the goal of publishing writers whose ideas and subject matter he believes have been shut out of mainstream publishing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The Chargers are 10-2 and have shut out five opponents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
"For Chinese companies increasingly shut out of Western exchanges, Hong Kong is fast becoming the only realistic path to market," Deglise-Favre said.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
But with the Department for Work and Pensions expanding its AI-assisted call centre and local councils following suit, she says older people are increasingly feeling shut out by new technology when contacting services they need.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The bass thumping down the block was impossible to shut out.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
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.
