shut up shop
The idiom "shut up shop" is commonly used in British English to indicate the cessation of business activities, either temporarily or permanently.
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Definition
B2Business
(colloquial, British)To close a business or store, either at the end of the day or permanently.
Example
- The café shut up shop at 6 PM every day.
- Due to financial difficulties, they had to shut up shop permanently.
B2General
(colloquial, British)To cease operations or activities.
Example
- The festival organizers decided to shut up shop early due to bad weather.
C1Cricket
(technical, British)To bat defensively in the final innings to force a draw when winning is not possible.
Example
- The team shut up shop in the last innings to secure a draw.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "shut up shop":
put up the shuttersshut downclose downset up shopshut upshut the doorshit upshut offsell upclosed shopshut awayclose outhush upbig shoppot shoptalking shopshut outshop timepipe down