Guide 142 / 200 5 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “shut down”
Five verbs that grade the finality of closing.
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Shut down" is blunt. "Close" is neutral; "wind down" signals a gradual end; "decommission" is for systems retired with ceremony; "discontinue" is for products and programmes; "retire" is softer than "kill."
ii · The swaps5 ways
- 01Close neutral
neutral end of operation
Close the London office by Q4.
- 02Wind down neutral
gradual, orderly end
Wind down the legacy product over six months.
- 03Decommission formal
retire a system with proper handover
Decommission the old database cluster.
- 04Discontinue neutral
stop producing or supporting
Discontinue the SKU in non-core markets.
- 05Retire neutral
soften end of a product or service
Retire the v1 API on 2026-06-30.