tune out

verb

tuned out; tuning out; tunes 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

Try to tune out the noise, stick to your game plan, and periodically rebalance your diversified portfolio. — Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026

Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor who became chair after his 2004 Presidential campaign, told me that part of the job is learning how to tune out the complaints, something Martin has apparently not yet mastered. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

Sennheiser Headset Deal Sennheiser’s Accentum wireless headphones let students tune out noisy study halls with hybrid active noise cancellation and customizable five-band EQ modes. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026

Sustainable performance is less about doing more and more about consistently tuning out the noise and prioritizing what moves you forward. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for tune out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Kids Definition

tune out

verb

: to stop paying attention to what is happening or to one's surroundings

thinking about the work and tuning everything else out