shutoff

1 of 2

noun

shut·​off ˈshət-ˌȯf How to pronounce shutoff (audio)
1
: something (such as a valve) that shuts off
2

shut off

2 of 2

verb

shut off; shutting off; shuts off

transitive verb

1
: to close off : separate
usually used with from
shut off from the rest of the world
2
a
: to cut off (a flow or passage) : stop
shuts off the oxygen supply
b
: to stop the operation of (something, such as a machine)
shut the motor off

intransitive verb

: to cease operating : stop
shuts off automatically

Examples of shutoff in a Sentence

Noun the utility company threatened them with the shutoff of electricity if the bills weren't paid Verb threatened to shut off peace talks if the other side kept making unreasonable demands shut off the computer to save electricity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
San Diego County firefighters were working to contain the Lilac Fire, one of three brush fires that broke out early Tuesday morning prompting evacuation orders, school closures and power shutoffs across the region. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025 Thousands of people across Southern California were without power on Tuesday as Southern California Edison instituted public safety power shutoffs, which aim to mitigate threats in areas where the utility’s equipment could be at a high risk of sparking a wildfire. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
All power has been shut off in the area, along with the gas valves on either side of the broken gas line, Hopkins said. Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2025 But now that Trump is shutting off funding, or at least threatening to, at sixty schools, Harvard’s endowment has taken on a new purpose, positioning the school to be the first bulwark against a rapidly advancing front. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shutoff

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1818, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shutoff was in 1818

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shutoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shutoff. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

shutoff

1 of 2 noun
shut·​off ˈshət-ˌȯf How to pronounce shutoff (audio)
1
: something that shuts off
2
: an instance of shutting off : interruption, stoppage

shut off

2 of 2 verb
ˌshət-ˈȯf
1
: to stop the flow of
shut off the water
2
a
: to stop the operation of
shut the motor off
b
: to cease operating
the light shuts off automatically
3
: to make or keep separate
shut off from the rest of the world
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!