shut out

Idioms  

1. Exclude, deny entry to, block, as in Anyone convicted of a crime is shut out from the legal profession , or These curtains shut out all the light . [Late 1300s]

2. Prevent an opponent from scoring, as in They were shut out of the last two games , or Reagan shut out Ford in the Texas primary in 1976. Originating in baseball about 1880, this usage was later transferred to other sports and then even broader usage.

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Example Sentences

The arrangement appears to be generous, but it could shut out her sons if she dies first.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

“Asian refiners, shut out of Middle Eastern supply, are bidding aggressively for every available Atlantic Basin barrel,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

He learned then that people who post extreme content often flock to new sites and flood the system until they are shut out and eventually move on to somewhere else.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Now, said Otto, archaeologists once again face being shut out.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

I shut out Eric’s pacing, and Peter’s jeering, and the nagging feeling that Four is staring at me, and throw the knife.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth