kill switch
Americannoun
-
a button, switch, or other mechanism that allows a machine to be shut down immediately.
Only use the kill switch in emergencies.
-
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.
Jack Clark, co-founder of Anthropic, told BBC that a "kill switch" that can be checked by a third party may need to be mandatory for the industry.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Critics of the kill switch idea say it would be too slow - it took months for the rogue agent attacks to be discovered and that was only after the hacks had largely concluded.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Some countries - like the UK - are exploring the idea of mandating some kind of "kill switch" that could compel AI firms to pull the plug on models if things get out of hand.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Newsom's order does not impose a kill switch.
From Barron's
The other dropcop hit the kill switch that opened my WarDoor, and the last two dropcops rushed in, followed by Wilson the suit.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
