kill switch
Americannoun
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a button, switch, or other mechanism that allows a machine to be shut down immediately.
Only use the kill switch in emergencies.
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Digital Technology. a command deployed to remotely lock, disable, or wipe an electronic device, as when the device is lost or stolen.
Etymology
Origin of kill switch
First recorded in 1950–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hence the one-year timeline for a kill switch should the bubble burst sooner than the stakeholders anticipate.
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
The agent managed to rewrite its own code to avoid the kill switch, then posted about the blocking.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
As was the case with ExpressVPN, in-tunnel DNS and the kill switch will prevent any data leaks, even if your VPN connection should unexpectedly drop.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
"Why can't they have a kill switch so a stolen phone can't be used? Why can't they stop somebody having access to a cloud so a phone that's stolen is not reset and reused?"
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
Kabuo hit the kill switch beside the wheel.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
