Shutdown

noun, slang

noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The action of stopping operations; a closing, of a computer, business, event, etc. countable, uncountable

    "You need to enter your password at startup, but it's not required at shutdown."

  2. 2
    termination of operations wordnet
  3. 3
    A statement, insult, etc. that prevents the opponent from replying further. countable, uncountable

    "When he insulted me, my reply was such a shutdown that he left the room."

  4. 4
    An autistic response to stress or sensory overload, in which the individual freezes up and becomes silent, motionless, and unresponsive. countable, uncountable

    "I retreated into myself and allowed myself to be swallowed into a typically autistic shutdown."

  5. 5
    A defensive ploy that prevents the opposing players from attacking. countable, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    A big success; a hyped atmosphere. UK, countable, slang, uncountable

    "Fashion week and it's shutdown / Went to the show, sitting in the front row / In a black tracksuit and it's shutdown"

Synonyms

All synonyms
closureabandonmentblockadebreakoffceaseceasing

Example

More examples

"Among so many actions committed by dictators, we can mention that: they suspend political activity, they suspend the rights of workers, they forbid strikes, they destroy the Supreme Court of Justice, they shutdown nighttime places of business, they censor the mass media, they burn thousands of books and magazines considered dangerous."

Etymology

Deverbal from shut down.

Related phrases

government shutdownshut down

More for "shutdown"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.