shut out

Idioms  

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.

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Example Sentences

A Filipino nurse in Dubai who asked to be identified as Jane said she continues to report to work while trying to "emotionally shut out" the constant noise.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

"When you close certain doors off to protect yourself, you also shut out a lot of positive things," he told BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

While many lower-income buyers have been shut out of today’s housing market, higher-income households have remained active.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

Although shut out of the Oscar nominations, Universal Pictures’ “Wicked: for Good” fetched $1.3 billion in global ticket sales.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

They also shut out the rattling noise that filled my head with warnings and admonitions—all in the voice of a guidance counselor—about where I was headed.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers