as in cessations
the stopping of a process or activity
the utility company threatened them with the shutoff of electricity if the bills weren't paid
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Recent Examples of shutoffs
That residence is one of nearly 1,000 Coast Guard housing units at risk of electricity shutoffs because of unpaid bills.
—
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Developed from firsthand experience in emergency response, its mission is to make critical information, such as utility shutoffs, appliance details, and maintenance records, accessible and shareable among those who rely on it.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The process was used to reduce the impact in Boulder in March when strong winds and hot, dry weather led Xcel to warn of possible shutoffs.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Most utility companies maintain lists of households with medical devices, and they are supposed to notify customers ahead of power shutoffs and prioritize restoring power to their homes.
—Katherine Asmussen, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
When public safety power shutoffs last days, how do families, small businesses, hospitals, and first responders operate?
—Suzette Valladares, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
The fierce Santa Ana winds blowing dry desert air over the mountains and out to sea had already triggered public safety power shutoffs.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Some 3,300 customers in the Malibu area remained without power, due to safety shutoffs and for firefighter safety.
—Christopher Weber, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Southern California Edison, a primary utility provider in the area, has implemented power shutoffs for public safety because of the wildfire risk.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Developed from firsthand experience in emergency response, its mission is to make critical information, such as utility shutoffs, appliance details, and maintenance records, accessible and shareable among those who rely on it.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
The process was used to reduce the impact in Boulder in March when strong winds and hot, dry weather led Xcel to warn of possible shutoffs.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Most utility companies maintain lists of households with medical devices, and they are supposed to notify customers ahead of power shutoffs and prioritize restoring power to their homes.
—Katherine Asmussen, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
When public safety power shutoffs last days, how do families, small businesses, hospitals, and first responders operate?
—Suzette Valladares, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
The fierce Santa Ana winds blowing dry desert air over the mountains and out to sea had already triggered public safety power shutoffs.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Some 3,300 customers in the Malibu area remained without power, due to safety shutoffs and for firefighter safety.
—Christopher Weber, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Southern California Edison, a primary utility provider in the area, has implemented power shutoffs for public safety because of the wildfire risk.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shutoffs
Noun
-
Temporary cessations of hostility, but no permanent closing of the moral and social divide between debtor and creditor, and no giving up on the thought that some lives matter more than others.—
Henry Freedland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Former leaders warn that the loss of institutional knowledge, combined with halts to the incoming pipeline of public health workers, may lead to a long-term crisis.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Automotive industry analysts are forecasting that another microchip shortage could hit in the coming months, which could increase risks for production halts as costs skyrocket.—
Breana Noble,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These periods tend to bring sudden news, endings, breakthroughs or a turning point.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Word endings did a lot more grammatical work, and verbs followed more complicated patterns.—
Valerie M. Fridland,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hyperliquid does this without any traditional centralised intermediaries, exchange operators, or clearinghouses and on a 24/7 basis without market closures.—
Bob Diamond,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
About 90 jobs were impacted by the closures.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Portions of the line were shut down for ten weeks during the summer of 2024, and the section of the line north of the Bedford-Nostrand Station faced summer shutdowns again last year.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, there could be some intermittent shutdowns because part of the semi’s trailer was pushed half a mile down the tracks.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bollards at the ends of each section will permanently keep errant (or malicious) drivers out of the median.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Others — the dreamers and grinders, as Spencer Nusbaum described yesterday — have to take second jobs to make ends meet while toiling away in minor-league baseball.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During the action, music played through the continuous stoppages, keeping the crowd engaged.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The stoppages allow for weird moments of drama and the emergence of characters.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shutoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shutoffs. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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