turn off

British  

verb

1. to leave (a road, pathway, etc)

2. (of a road, pathway, etc) to deviate from (another road, etc)

3. (tr, adverb) to cause (something) to cease operating by turning a knob, pushing a button, etc

   to turn off the radio

4. informal (tr) to cause (a person, etc) to feel dislike or distaste for (something)

   this music turns me off

5. informal (tr, adverb) to dismiss from employment

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noun

1. a road or other way branching off from the main thoroughfare

2. informal a person or thing that elicits dislike or distaste

turn off Idioms  

1. Stop the operation, activity, or flow of; shut off, as in Turn off the lights when you leave . [Mid-1800s]

2. Affect with dislike, revulsion, or boredom; cause to lose interest. For example, That vulgar comedian turned us off completely , or The movie was all right for an hour or so, but then I was turned off . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turn off

On Instagram for example, when you turn off the algorithm, you can't see direct messages or access your profile and settings.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Once created, it would be hard to stamp out, because there would be no central switch to turn off.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

I use the Amazon Echo Show device daily, sometimes to play music, but mostly to set timers and turn off all the lights before bedtime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

“If we sleep, if we park, we can turn off the motors,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Dad had to turn off the air conditioner so the engine wouldn’t overheat.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis

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Related Words

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