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
Lisa Respers France, CNN, 10 July 2024
No question, some of his comments are a real turnoff for some people.
—Owen Bellwood/jalopnik, Quartz, 5 July 2024
Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 16 July 2024
If the water keeps draining out of the TPR valve, turn off the water, drain the tank until the water level is lower than the valve, and unscrew the old valve.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for turnoff 
Noun
In an interview with CNN conducted before the first movie’s release, the Oscar-winner said he’s been trying to get the film made for decades and had no concerns that the running time, or multiple installments, might be a turnoff to those with short attention spans.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 10 July 2024
No question, some of his comments are a real turnoff for some people.
—Owen Bellwood/jalopnik, Quartz, 5 July 2024
Verb
Her Instagram has relatively few posts, all of which focus on her music, and the comments are turned off.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 16 July 2024
If the water keeps draining out of the TPR valve, turn off the water, drain the tank until the water level is lower than the valve, and unscrew the old valve.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for turnoff
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 27 Jul. 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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