shut up

verb

1. (tr) to prevent all access to

2. (tr) to confine or imprison

3. informal,  to cease to talk or make a noise or cause to cease to talk or make a noise: often used in commands

4. (intr) (of horses in a race) to cease through exhaustion from maintaining a racing pace

Idioms and Phrases

Imprison, confine, enclose, as in The dog was shut up in the cellar for the night , or She shut up her memories and never talked about the past . [c. 1400]

Close completely, as in The windows were shut up tightly so no rain came in . [Early 1500s] This usage also occurs in shut up shop , meaning “close the premises of a business,” as in It's late, let's shut up shop now . [Late 1500s] Also see close up , def. 3.

Cause someone to stop speaking, silence someone, as in It's time someone shut him up . [Early 1800s]

Stop speaking, as in I've told you what I think and now I'll shut up . This usage also occurs as a rather rude imperative, as in Shut up! You've said enough . [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

"Everyone needs to just shut up and get on with their own jobs," one government source says.

From BBC

Burnham has his supporters in the Parliamentary Labour Party, but boy, plenty told us he should just shut up.

From BBC

“At critical stages of an investigation, shut up and let the professionals do their job.”

From Salon

Sure, the Republican Party still had a large and resentful voter base that refused to die off or shut up, but its demographic was aging and increasingly irrelevant, or so it seemed.

From Salon

It’s usually impossible to get him to shut up, but the press conference lasted only about 45 minutes, including multiple speeches by other politicians.

From Salon