shut down
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle down
Meanings
Stop operating completely
Why “down”? A structure, a system, or someone's mood can go down when it fails.
“They shut down the factory last year.”
“The council shut down the unsafe pool.”
“The technician shut down the office computer before Leo tried the presentation backup.”
Don't confuse with
Shut down means stop operating completely. Shut up means stop talking.
Test yourself
“They shut down the factory last year.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
shut up
A contrast learners often mix up
Stop talking, often used as a rude command
back down
Same down pattern: losing
Withdraw from a position
break down
Same down pattern: losing
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working; Lose emotional control and start crying; Separate something into smaller parts to understand it; (of negotiations or relationships) fail or end; Force a door open by hitting it; Decompose into simpler chemical substances
bring down
Same down pattern: losing
Cause something to fall or land; Make something lower in level or amount; Cause a government or leader to lose power; Make someone feel sad or depressed
burn down
Same down pattern: losing
Destroy a building completely by fire
close down
Same down pattern: losing
Permanently stop a business or service
cut down
Same down pattern: losing
Reduce the amount of something; Fell a tree by cutting at its base; Kill or seriously injure many people quickly
fall down
Same down pattern: losing
Drop to the ground from an upright position; (of a plan or argument) fail because of a weakness
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “shut down”.
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