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

Police ordered the drivers traveling on the destroyed road to turn off their engines.

From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026

My partner wants to turn off the light and go to sleep, but I'm still frantically typing on my phone.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026

A precise count is hard to come by, however, as many vessels “go dark,” or turn off their transponder-like signals and radars in attempting to safely cross the strait.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026

I had to turn off automatic Pittsburgh Penguins updates during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, because the Sports app was repeatedly sharing developments before I saw them on my streaming package.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

So turn off the juice for a minute, Shepard suggested.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• alienate
• bore
• irritate
• offend