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.
New RNA-based drugs target the genetic instructions inside cells to lower cholesterol or blood pressure, while therapies based on Crispr, a gene-editing technology, will permanently switch off genes that drive heart disease.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
The surface of the protein is exceptionally smooth, lacking the molecular pockets that standard drugs require to bind to and turn the switch off.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
A UK government consultation on whether to set a minimum age for social media ends on Tuesday, with ministers also considering other measures including requiring platforms to switch off addictive features.
From BBC • May 25, 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
“You watch any game where they do coordinated eight-dives, especially when double-armed, and you’ll see how they switch off roles as smooth as glass.”
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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.
