turnoff

noun turn·off \ ˈtərn-ˌȯf \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: turnoff in a Sentence

Definition of turnoff

1 : a place where one turns off; especially : exit 4

2 : one that causes loss of interest or enthusiasm

the music was a turnoff

3 : a turning off

See turnoff defined for English-language learners

See turnoff defined for kids

Examples of turnoff in a Sentence

His strong cologne was a real turnoff.

Recent Examples of turnoff from the Web

The idea of her dominating you like that might be a huge turnoff.

— steve & mia, Philly.com, "Steve & Mia: How to broach an unusual sex request," 12 July 2018
The turnoff is at Castella, bound for Castle Crags State Park.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Castle Crags’ spectacular little seen world," 5 Apr. 2018
Sloppy kisses are a huge turnoff, so don’t go overboard with the tongue, especially at first.

— yerin kim, Seventeen, "11 Mistakes to Avoid During a Hot Makeout Sesh," 12 June 2018
The turnoff to it and Kokee Lodge is just beyond mile marker 15 on the highway.

— jay jones, latimes.com, "Where to hike in Kauai to one of the wettest spots on the planet," 18 June 2018
Best ways to get there: Drive through Yosemite National Park and over Tioga Pass to U.S. 395, and then drive south for 30 miles to the Highway 203 turnoff for Mammoth Lakes.

— tom stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Trails, camps, lakes open for summer in Land of Muir," 17 June 2018
Directly across the highway is the turnoff for the Rim Road.

— roger naylor, azcentral, "Cool off this summer at these lakes near Payson," 8 June 2018
State television is a turnoff for most of the public.

— jim michaels, USA TODAY, "While the world is inundated with summit news, North Koreans are told almost nothing," 8 June 2018
Suburban sprawl, environmental negligence and the emphasis on careerism were unfortunate turnoffs from being among the first students at California Institute of the Arts, when the college opened in 1971.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Becoming John Luther Adams: The evolution of one of America's hottest composers," 3 May 2018

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

First Known Use of turnoff

circa 1852

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

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Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

turn off

verb

Definition of turn off

transitive verb

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

3 a : dismiss, discharge

b : to dispose of : sell

4 : deflect, evade

5 : produce, accomplish

6 : hang 1b

7 a : to remove (material) by the process of turning

b : to shape or produce by turning

intransitive verb

1 : to deviate from a straight course or from a main road

turn off into a side road

2 a British : to turn bad : spoil

b : to change to a specified state : become

3 : to lose interest : withdraw

See turn off defined for kids

Examples of turn off in a Sentence

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 of turn off from the Web

Those closest to the market are less fazed by this contingency, however, knowing that Beijing mostly turned off that tap well over a year ago.

— patrick brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, "Will Hollywood Get Caught in Trump's China Trade War Crossfire?," 13 July 2018
The parent had come to work and left the 17-month-old boy strapped in the car seat, with the engine turned off and the windows rolled up, authorities told CBS Miami.

— CBS News, "Baby dead after being left in hot car in south Florida, police say," 13 July 2018
Many are worried that foreign visitors in particular are being turned off — even turned away — by a trash-talking, tariff-loving commander in chief.

— steve hendrix, Washington Post, "‘What a crazy country’: Trump makes being a D.C. tour guide a tough gig," 12 July 2018
In general, residents should avoid outdoor physical activity, close windows and doors that might let in smoke, turn off all wood-burning appliances and turn on their air conditioners, according to the district.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Here's the air quality outlook for July 4 and beyond, amid Northern California wildfires," 3 July 2018
Peckinpaugh said the department has distributed 10,168 door hanger notices for service interruption for nonpayment since May 16 and as of today, 1,940 of those households have had their water turned off.

— katrease stafford, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit halts water shutoffs in temporary moratorium," 2 July 2018
Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the water from the toilet in his cell was turned off.

— monique o. madan, miamiherald, "A jewel thief swallowed the evidence. Now he's not going anywhere until he poops, cops say," 30 June 2018
Google showed a settings screen that would allow businesses to turn off Duplex reservations.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Talking to Google Duplex: Google’s human-like phone AI feels revolutionary," 27 June 2018
The culture is that workers turn off their overhead lights and use only a small desk lamp and the light from their computers.

— New York Times, "How to Deal With Misguided Job Inquiries," 22 June 2018

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

First Known Use of turn off

1564

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

turn off Synonyms

TURNOFF Defined for English Language Learners

turnoff

noun

Definition of turnoff for English Language Learners

: a road that allows vehicles to leave a highway
: something that you dislike or that causes you to stop being interested in or attracted to someone or something