tune out

tuned out; tuning out; tunes out

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 AirPods Max headphones hoped to help users tune out loud family members and pets. — Zoe Malin, NBC News, "Bestselling tech & gadgets: Most purchased wearable and personal tech we've covered," 29 Dec. 2020 Over time, our brains gradually tune out the danger. — Author: William Wan, Brittany Shammas, Anchorage Daily News, "Why Americans are numb to the staggering coronavirus death toll," 22 Dec. 2020 For starters, the practice forces everyone to tune out distractions and focus on the present tense — and on each other. — Matt Villano, CNN, "10 outdoor game ideas for the whole family," 16 Dec. 2020 Inside the building, poll workers were doing their best to tune out the commotion. — Adriana Gallardo, ProPublica, "Pistols, a Hearse and Trucks Playing Chicken: Why Some Voters Felt Harassed and Intimidated at the Polls," 4 Dec. 2020 There are plenty of good reasons for the press to, somewhat belatedly, tune out the president’s ravings. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "The Media Is Finally Tuning Trump Out," 3 Dec. 2020 Everyone needs a great pair of noise-canceling headphones to tune out the world from time to time, and Bose ranks among the best of the best. — Christine Persaud, USA TODAY, "These Bose QuietComfort 35 noise-canceling headphones are crazy popular—and $100 off," 21 Nov. 2020 His rapid-fire style, complete with frequent capitalizations and the occasional spelling error, makes his voice hard to tune out. — Washington Post, "Trump’s power on Twitter, Facebook will outlive his presidency," 6 Nov. 2020 Simultaneously, many people either intentionally tune out political news or receive it filtered through social networks heavily biased in favor of right-wing perspectives. — Alex Pareene, The New Republic, "What If Democrats’ Message Just Doesn’t Matter?," 5 Nov. 2020

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

8 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Tune out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tune%20out. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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