Meaning trap
shut down
dismiss an argument
To reject, silence, or abruptly end someone’s point or contribution in a discussion, often without giving it fair consideration.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To reject, silence, or abruptly end someone’s point or contribution in a discussion, often without giving it fair consideration.
'shut down' also has the more basic meaning 'close a business or system'; this is the advanced sense.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- Whenever someone challenges his ideas, he tends to shut them down before they can finish explaining.debate
- In group discussions, it is important not to shut down alternative viewpoints, as this can hinder creative problem-solving.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: shut down + noun (person/argument/idea)
WrongHe shut down me in the meeting.
RightHe shut me down in the meeting.
With a person or pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'shut me down'.
Patternshut down + noun (person/argument/idea)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Shut someone down' is the punchy spoken way to say they cut off your point dismissively; the formal version is flat.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
shut down + person/ideamethe ideathe suggestionany debate
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense (to close a business or system) and the B2 sense (to stop showing emotions), this sense is figurative and refers specifically to dismissing or rejecting someone’s input in a conversation or debate.
Related
- shut down (close a business or system) — 'shut down' also has the more basic meaning 'close a business or system'; this is the advanced sense.