switch off
phrasal verb
switched off; switching off; switches off
1
: to turn off (something) by turning or pushing a button or moving a switch, lever, etc.
He switched off the light/lamp.
He switched the TV off.
2
informal
: to stop paying attention
When the topic turned to the stock market, he switched off.
Examples of switch off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Gravelines nuclear power plant faced a similar problem last month, when jellyfish clogged up the cooling system to cause four of its units to switch off automatically.
—
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
The whole point was to build open, borderless systems that couldn’t be switched off, bypassing the gatekeepers of traditional finance.
—Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Dissociative identity disorder, caused by trauma, is when two or more distinctive personalities control a person’s behavior, causing gaps in memory when the personalities switch off.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Joppy, who had stayed past the end of her shift in the intensive care unit, followed directions from a respiratory therapist to switch off the ventilator, according to her 2022 lawsuit.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for switch off
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Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
The whole point was to build open, borderless systems that couldn’t be switched off, bypassing the gatekeepers of traditional finance.
—Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Dissociative identity disorder, caused by trauma, is when two or more distinctive personalities control a person’s behavior, causing gaps in memory when the personalities switch off.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Joppy, who had stayed past the end of her shift in the intensive care unit, followed directions from a respiratory therapist to switch off the ventilator, according to her 2022 lawsuit.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for switch off
Cite this Entry
“Switch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switch%20off. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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