1
: a person who is confined to home, a room, or bed because of illness or incapacity
2
: a narrow gorge-shaped part of an otherwise wide valley
3
: available oil or gas which is not being produced from an existing well
shut in; shutting in; shuts in
2
: to prevent production of (oil or gas) by closing down a well
Examples of shut-in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2024
Advertisement Arlo, though, is absent and presumed dead, and Naoise’s mom (Simone Kirby) has become a shut-in.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023
Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 17 Aug. 2024
Even though Alameda is close to San Francisco and Oakland, the tunnels, bridges, and ferries that connect it to the mainland could easily be shut in an emergency, making the island’s hospital a lifeline.
—Annie Sciacca | Kff Health News, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shut-in 
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Noun
The filmmaker hatched the project before the COVID-19 pandemic, but somehow failed to consider that audiences have had their fill of claustrophobic shut-in stories.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2024
Advertisement Arlo, though, is absent and presumed dead, and Naoise’s mom (Simone Kirby) has become a shut-in.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2024
Adjective
When Darren Aronofsky’s film received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, star Brendan Fraser shot to the top of the Best Actor rankings for his performance as a 600-pound shut-in.
—Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023
Verb
The transfer window shuts in less than two weeks and Schar will miss all of it, starting with next weekend’s visit to Bournemouth.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 17 Aug. 2024
Even though Alameda is close to San Francisco and Oakland, the tunnels, bridges, and ferries that connect it to the mainland could easily be shut in an emergency, making the island’s hospital a lifeline.
—Annie Sciacca | Kff Health News, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shut-in
Dictionary Entries Near shut-in
Cite this Entry
“Shut-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shut-in. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
shut-in
1 of 2 noun
: a person who is confined to home, a room, or bed because of illness or incapacity
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