# shut in

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shut-in
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to keep someone or something inside a place so they cannot leave.

For teachers: to confine or enclose a person or object within a specific area. Often used transitively or in the passive voice to indicate forced isolation.

## Examples

- I shut the cat in the bedroom so it wouldn't escape.
- The heavy snowfall shut the villagers in their homes for nearly a week until the plows arrived.
- The rare manuscripts were shut in a lead-lined chamber to protect them from the catastrophic effects of the surrounding radiation.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They shutted the bird in the cage." but "They shut the bird in the cage." — The verb 'shut' is irregular and does not take the '-ed' ending in the past tense.

## Usage notes

- The phrase is frequently used in the passive voice to describe being trapped by weather or illness.
- Teaching tip: Highlight the irregular conjugation (shut-shut-shut) and compare it with 'lock in' which implies the use of a key.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.