kləʊzˈʌp hʌʃ ˈkwaɪ.ə.tən ʃʌt ˈʌp ʃʌt ˈʌp ʃʌt ˈʌp ʃʌt ˈʌp ˈsaɪ.ləns cause to be quiet or not talk Please silence the children in the church! closely confined refuse to talk or stop talking; fall silent The children shut up when their father approached place in a place where something cannot be removed or someone cannot escape The parents locked her daughter up for the weekend She locked her jewels in the safe