tune out

verb

Definition of tune out

transitive verb

: to become unresponsive to : ignore

intransitive verb

: to dissociate oneself from what is happening or one's surroundings

Examples of tune out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So if the Warriors effectively become the NBA’s Harlem Globetrotters while the 29 other teams morph into various incarcerations of the Washington Generals, should the NBA take action to shore up rival teams so that fans don’t tune out? — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "DeMarcus Cousins and the NBA's Efforts to Keep Competitive Balance," 3 July 2018 Fans are staying away from NASCAR tracks in record numbers, television viewers are tuning out NASCAR races in record numbers and corporate sponsors are bailing out on NASCAR drivers in record numbers. — Mike Bianchi, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Selling NASCAR might be only way to save shrinking sport from becoming as irrelevant as horse racing," 9 May 2018 And some fans may well have been tuning out for that reason. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Fans should vote on NFL anthem policy with their wallets," 23 May 2018 But as any parent knows, a steady diet of criticism — however well-deserved — risks being tuned out, especially if it is delivered in a hectoring, combative or dismissive key. — Larry Bartels, Washington Post, "Here’s how little Americans have learned about Donald Trump," 21 Feb. 2018 Jessica, a landscape architect in Boston, tunes out the news with obscure documentaries about the history of toys and cars. — Jaclyn Gallucci, Fortune, "Freaked-Out Americans Are Desperately Seeking Escape From the News," 30 June 2018 Trump has also encouraged fans to tune out from games if teams and the league don’t discipline protesting players. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "The Latest Wrinkle in Colin Kaepernick's Collusion Case: Polling Data?," 24 May 2018 Americans ultimately reject extremes, often tempering the power of an executive with one ideology by installing a legislature with another, tuning out or voting out voices that lead to the edges. — Alberto Ibargüen, star-telegram, "Support local news –it’s crucial to our lives and our democracy," 5 July 2018 And though that experience more than a decade ago probably had little bearing on the logistics of his performance, the 48-year-old on Saturday credited his ability to keep calm and tune out the course for his score. — Joan Niesen, SI.com, "USGA's Unplayable Course at Shinnecock 'Totally Gone' in Third Round of U.S. Open," 16 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tune out.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for tune out

The first known use of tune out was in 1908

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