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shutout

American  
[shuht-out] / ˈʃʌtˌaʊt /

noun

  1. an act or instance of shutting out.

  2. the state of being shut out.

  3. Sports.

    1. a preventing of the opposite side from scoring, as in baseball.

    2. any game in which one side does not score.


shutout British  
/ ˈʃʌtˌaʊt /

noun

  1. a less common word for a lockout See lock out

  2. sport a game in which the opposing team does not score

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to keep out or exclude

  2. to conceal from sight

    we planted trees to shut out the view of the road

  3. to prevent (an opponent) from scoring

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shutout

1850–55, noun use of verb phrase shut out

Vocabulary lists containing shutout

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.

And when he finally made it, after a shutout victory against Eswatini, Vozinha was on track to become the second-oldest debutant in the history of the tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

With Bussi’s shutout performance in Game 6, Carolina defeated the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0, to clinch the franchise’s second championship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

“He’s literally trying to throw a shutout every time out there, where I don’t know that every starter has that mindset.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

The Eagles won’t have ace Jack Kaplan available after he threw a shutout in the semifinals, but there’s plenty of hot hitters, including junior Hudson Chase, who has 42 hits and seven home runs.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Bobby defeated him in six straight games, the first shutout of a grandmaster in chess history.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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