Meaning trap

shut down

stop talking or reacting emotionally

To stop communicating or showing emotions, often because of stress or discomfort.

phrasal verbB2occasional

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

stop talking or reacting emotionally

To stop communicating or showing emotions, often because of stress or discomfort.

shut down (close a business or system)

Another meaning of 'shut down' is 'close a business or system'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

Whenever the topic gets personal, he tends to shut down and avoid eye contact.relationships
Some people shut down during arguments because they find it hard to express their emotions.IELTS speaking

Pattern: shut down (no object) / shut [oneself] down

WrongShe shut down herself when she got upset.

RightShe shut down when she got upset.

In this sense it's intransitive — you don't 'shut down' yourself.

Patternshut down (no object) / shut [oneself] down

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff He became emotionally unresponsive during the conversation.

Natural He just shut down.

'Shut down' is how people describe going quiet and withdrawn under stress; the formal version sounds clinical.

Words that usually travel with it.

Different from 'calm down', which means to relax; 'shut down' means to withdraw or stop responding.

shut down (close a business or system) — Another meaning of 'shut down' is 'close a business or system'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.