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.
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
But De Zerbi seems to be getting a tune out of these players, so I live in hope.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Symptoms can include a desire to tune out for a spell, stick your head in an ice bucket, or find another way to numb the senses.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026
Saylor told his investors the only way to handle the downturn is to hold on—and tune out the market’s volatility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026
She was able to tune out the noise, and she liked being left alone for the last two hours of every day.
From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements
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.
