1
: a place where one turns off
especially
: exit sense 4
2
: one that causes loss of interest or enthusiasm
the music was a turnoff
3
: a turning off
turned off; turning off; turns off
1
: to stop the flow of or shut off by or as if by turning a control
turn the water off
2
: to cause to lose interest : bore
economics turns me off
also
: to evoke a negative feeling in
5
6
7
a
: to remove (material) by the process of turning
b
: to shape or produce by turning
1
: to deviate from a straight course or from a main road
turn off into a side road
3
: to lose interest : withdraw
Synonyms
Examples of turnoff in a Sentence
Noun
His strong cologne was a real turnoff.
Verb
that memorably bad meal turned me off about restaurant food for a while
turn off at the third exit and follow the ramp to your left
Recent Examples on the Web
Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2024
Turn right and go 2 miles to the turnoff for Forest Road 152 on the right.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024
Bachelor winner Kelsey Anderson has one specific turnoff when spending time with fiancé Joey Graziadei.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Many homeowners might be tempted to tap into their equity and borrow against their homes, maybe to do a bathroom remodel, but the interest rates could be a turnoff.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024
Related article Manila’s traffic is so bad Coldplay wrote a song about it
China’s infamous censorship laws can also be a major turnoff for Western acts.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024
Interestingly, the second-biggest financial turnoff differed for men and women.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2023
Turn right and go 2 miles to the turnoff for Forest Road 152/Dry Creek trailhead on the right and continue a short distance to the parking area.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024
Who are these slobs?) 35% found plastic utensils and dinnerware a turnoff.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024
Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 4 May 2024
A little while into the conversation, the 23-year-old Allendale, New Jersey, native pressed the mute button, turned off her camera and went to the bathroom.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
We were also turned off by the sheer volume of pop-up ads that appear over and over to prompt you to subscribe to Evernote’s $130 per year premium tier.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 3 May 2024
Others who had been identified rushed to make their social media profiles private, turned off comments on their business pages and set their phones to send all calls to voicemail.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Zuckerman also wants to study how turning off the news feed affects people’s experience on Facebook.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 2 May 2024
Those interested in entering the competition can pledge to take action like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers, running the dishwasher only when full, harvesting rainwater and more.
—Maraya King, Twin Cities, 1 May 2024
And that’s turned off a group of car buyers who don’t want to be associated with the Tesla CEO’s polarizing antics at a time when the electric-vehicle maker can’t afford to lose any customers.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
To give us a feel for what the punishment was like, Quinn turned off all the lights and played the song on repeat until the crowd sang along.
—David Wysong, The Enquirer, 22 Apr. 2024
Noun
Predictability is a turnoff for readers and listeners.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2024
Turn right and go 2 miles to the turnoff for Forest Road 152 on the right.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024
Bachelor winner Kelsey Anderson has one specific turnoff when spending time with fiancé Joey Graziadei.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
Many homeowners might be tempted to tap into their equity and borrow against their homes, maybe to do a bathroom remodel, but the interest rates could be a turnoff.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024
Related article Manila’s traffic is so bad Coldplay wrote a song about it
China’s infamous censorship laws can also be a major turnoff for Western acts.
—Heather Chen, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024
Interestingly, the second-biggest financial turnoff differed for men and women.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2023
Turn right and go 2 miles to the turnoff for Forest Road 152/Dry Creek trailhead on the right and continue a short distance to the parking area.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 16 Feb. 2024
Who are these slobs?) 35% found plastic utensils and dinnerware a turnoff.
—Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
Experts suggest turning off the home security camera when not in use and disconnecting it from the internet for a few minutes every week.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 4 May 2024
A little while into the conversation, the 23-year-old Allendale, New Jersey, native pressed the mute button, turned off her camera and went to the bathroom.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
We were also turned off by the sheer volume of pop-up ads that appear over and over to prompt you to subscribe to Evernote’s $130 per year premium tier.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 3 May 2024
Others who had been identified rushed to make their social media profiles private, turned off comments on their business pages and set their phones to send all calls to voicemail.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Zuckerman also wants to study how turning off the news feed affects people’s experience on Facebook.
—Barbara Ortutay, Fortune, 2 May 2024
Those interested in entering the competition can pledge to take action like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers, running the dishwasher only when full, harvesting rainwater and more.
—Maraya King, Twin Cities, 1 May 2024
And that’s turned off a group of car buyers who don’t want to be associated with the Tesla CEO’s polarizing antics at a time when the electric-vehicle maker can’t afford to lose any customers.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
To give us a feel for what the punishment was like, Quinn turned off all the lights and played the song on repeat until the crowd sang along.
—David Wysong, The Enquirer, 22 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turnoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near turnoff
Cite this Entry
“Turnoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turnoff. Accessed 8 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
turnoff
1 of 2 noun
turn·off
ˈtər-ˌnȯf 
1
: a place where one turns off (as from a road)
2
: something that causes loss of interest or enjoyment
the music was a turnoff
turn off
2 of 2 verbˌtər-ˈnȯf,
ˈtər-
1
: to turn aside
turned off onto a side road
2
: to stop by or as if by turning a control
turn off the light
turn the alarm off
3
: to cause dislike or loss of interest
that sort of thing turns me off
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