shut
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
How often you will meet it
Rank 833 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 21,844 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.010% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
verb
- move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut also: close Close the doorshut the window
- become closed also: close The windows closed with a loud bang
- prevent from entering; shut out also: exclude, keep out, shut out The trees were shutting out all sunlightThis policy excludes people who have a criminal record from entering the country
adjective
- not open also: unopen, closed the door slammed shut
- used especially of mouth or eyes also: closed he sat quietly with closed eyeshis eyes were shut against the sunlight
shut in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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The signora, shut up in her room, was shedding bitter tears.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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We followed him in, and he shut the door after us.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles · Agatha Christie · Chapter 1
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This old dwelling, so shut in, with its garden of a dead quiet, was her world.
The Dream · Émile Zola · Chapter 1
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It was to this man's home that Wilson turned when he was shut out of Shoulthwaite Moss.
The Shadow of a Crime: A Cumbrian Romance · Hall, Sir Caine · Chapter 1
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They each held the money tightly shut in one hand, and with the other hand they held on to each other.
The Dutch Twins · Lucy Fitch Perkins · Chapter 1