To prevent someone from entering or being included; to block something from one's mind; in sport, to prevent the opposition from scoring.
To stop someone from coming in or being part of something, or to stop thinking about something.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To prevent someone from entering a place or being included in a group.
"Several low-income families have been effectively shut out of the housing market."
We will not go back to the days when our doors were shut to immigrants seeking opportunity.
— Barack Obama, immigration speech (2014)
To stop a thought, memory, or feeling from entering one's consciousness.
"She tried to shut out the memory of the accident, but it kept returning."
In sports, to prevent the opposing team from scoring any points.
"The goalkeeper shut out three powerful strikers and led his team to victory."
To shut (close) something or someone out (of a space) — transparent.
To stop someone from coming in or being part of something, or to stop thinking about something.
Three common uses: (1) physical exclusion from a place, (2) emotional exclusion from a group or situation, (3) blocking thoughts or memories from one's mind. Also a sports term: 'shut out the opposition' (prevent them scoring). The noun 'shutout' is common in American sports.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "shut out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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