shutdown

American  

[shuht-doun] / ˈʃʌtˌdaʊn /

noun

• shutdowns
  plural

1. a shutting down, as of a factory, school, or machine; a termination or suspension of operations, services, or business activity.

   a partial government shutdown;

   an emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor.

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shutdown British  

/ ˈʃʌtˌdaʊn /

noun

1. 1. the closing of a factory, shop, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      shutdown costs

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verb

1. to cease or cause to cease operation

2. (tr) to close by lowering

3. (tr) (of fog) to descend and envelop

4. informal (intr; foll by on or upon) to put a stop to; clamp down on

5. (tr) to reduce the power level of (a nuclear reactor) to the lowest possible value

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shutdowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shutdown

1855–60, noun use of verb phrase shut down

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shutdown shutdowns

Republicans and Democrats are eager to avoid another shutdown drama as they focus on re-election.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The shutdown brought that trajectory to a sudden end; average attendance fell by 20% in 1995, meaning 20 million fans had disappeared.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

The findings suggest that antineutrino detectors could eventually provide useful information not only while reactors are operating, but also during maintenance and after shutdown.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

Neighbouring Hungary has so far avoided a shutdown of its only nuclear plant in Paks, which also uses the Danube.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

I guess I did the shutdown as an homage to the mission Ares 3 could have been.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

"The cell phone data we used was made available to researchers during the pandemic to help reveal the impacts of COVID-19 shutdowns," said co-lead author Scott Yanco, a research ecologist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

While the Iranian Hospital and the Iranian Club remain closed, the shutdowns haven’t spread.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

India ranked second worldwide in internet shutdowns last year, according to Access Now monitor, including localised blackouts during protests, conflict and communal violence.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

In his nearly three decades at Apple, Tim Cook completely revolutionized the company’s supply chain and guided the company through tariffs, pandemic shutdowns and other obstacles.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

As a result, the economy has been officially reported to suffer enormous losses through production shutdowns, substitutions of materials that lower quality and increase costs, and hoarding of scarce materials.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Violeta D. Baluyut

Related Words

• closedown
• closure
• stoppage