# shut down

Pronunciation: say "shut-DOWN" /ʃʌt ˈdaʊn/

## Phrasal verb

1. To close or end something such as a business, building, or program, or, of a business or facility, to close and stop operating.
   - Simple: To close a place or end something. A business or factory can also shut down on its own.
   - _Regulators moved to shut down the clinic after a failed inspection._
   - _Many ski resorts shut down for the summer, and crews use the break for repairs._
2. To turn off or stop working, or to make a machine, engine, or system turn off or stop.
   - Simple: To turn off a machine, or for a machine to turn itself off.
   - _The pilot had to shut down one engine and land on the other._
   - _The reactor shut down automatically when sensors detected a coolant leak._
3. To withdraw emotionally into oneself as a defense, blocking out outside sources of stress.
   - Simple: To close yourself off from other people and your feelings, to protect yourself from stress.
   - _She tends to shut down during arguments, going quiet until everyone else leaves the room._
   - _After the diagnosis, he shut down for weeks and barely spoke to anyone._
5. To push aside and refuse to entertain an idea, or to stifle some part of one's own character or identity.
   - Simple: To push away or refuse an idea, or to hide a part of who you are.
   - _Growing up, he learned to shut down any feelings his family considered weak._
   - _The committee shut down the proposal before anyone could explain it._
6. In car racing and car culture, to pass another vehicle, especially quickly. *(slang)*
   - Simple: In car racing, to drive past another car, usually very fast.
   - _On the drag strip, the Chevy shut down the Ford in the final hundred yards._
   - _Kids gathered on Friday nights to see whose hot rod could shut down the rest._

## Noun · shut-down

Pronunciation: say "SHUT-down" /ˈʃʌt daʊn/

4. Alternative form of shutdown. — Alternative form of shutdown.
   - Simple: Alternative form of shutdown. It is written with a hyphen and means the same thing.
   - _Engineers scheduled a two-day shut-down of the plant for maintenance._
   - _The government shut-down closed national parks and delayed thousands of paychecks._

## Origin

Formed from the verb shut down.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/shut-down (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).