tune out
Britishverb
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Adjust a receiver so as not to receive a signal, as in Let's tune out all this interference . [Early 1900s]
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Dissociate oneself from one's surroundings; also, disregard, ignore. For example, The average reader, used to seeing lots of color images, tunes out when confronted with big blocks of text , or Some mothers are expert at tuning out the children's whining and quarreling . [1920s] For an antonym, see tune in .
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.
I observed that the audience seemed to tune out because it was so difficult to hear the presentation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Not many were talking about Brazil pre-tournament but Carlo Ancelotti is getting a tune out of them.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Just as important, he said, is helping her tune out the growing attention by focusing on small, achievable goals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
The anonymous voter said they try to tune out controversy because "we honor the work and not the personality," but predicted Michael B. Jordan would win the "tight race."
From Barron's ● Mar. 15, 2026
I tune out through the speech about victory and sacrifice.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
