Meaning trap
shut down
stop talking or reacting emotionally
To stop communicating or showing emotions, often because of stress or discomfort.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To stop communicating or showing emotions, often because of stress or discomfort.
Another meaning of 'shut down' is 'close a business or system'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Whenever the topic gets personal, he tends to shut down and avoid eye contact.
Some people shut down during arguments because they find it hard to express their emotions.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: She shut down herself when she got upset.
Say: She shut down when she got upset.
In this sense it's intransitive — you don't 'shut down' yourself.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Shut down' is how people describe going quiet and withdrawn under stress; the formal version sounds clinical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
shut down + trigger
- under pressure
- when stressed
- completely
- emotionally
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- 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.