to cause (a device) to stop operating by or as if by moving a switch, knob, or lever; turn off
informal to cease to interest or be interested; make or become bored, alienated, etc
Noun use of verb phrase switch off
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the new study, researchers used genome editing to switch off the gene responsible for producing dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, an enzyme involved in a critical step just before anthocyanins are formed in red lettuce.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
He also points out the psychological impact of the plague alongside its economic cost, as farmers can't switch off when they finish work for the day.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
When the last lights switch off in the Ed Sullivan Theater, the curtain also drops, perhaps permanently, on the brand of surreal comedy that former “Late Show” host David Letterman gifted to broadcast TV.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
In Qatar, QatarEnergy has asked all ships calling at Ras Laffan Port, the world’s biggest liquefied-natural-gas export hub, to switch off their automatic identification system when coming in.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
I switch off the nebulizer and throw my legs over the bed, sliding into my shoes and peering into the hallway to make sure the coast is clear.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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.
