turnoff

noun

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turn·off | \ ˈtərn-ˌȯf

Definition of turnoff

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

turn off

verb

turned off; turning off; turns off

Definition of turn off (Entry 2 of 2)

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

3a : dismiss, discharge

b : to dispose of : sell

4 : deflect, evade

5 : produce, accomplish

6 : hang sense 1b

7a : 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

2a British : to turn bad : spoil

b : to change to a specified state : become

3 : to lose interest : withdraw

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about turnoff

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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: Noun Mostly, though, the game of baseball will suffer immensely from the turnoff of fans to this overtly political decision. — WSJ, "Does Georgia or Baseball Get the Big Error?," 13 Apr. 2021 In the Senate, the cost could be a turnoff to lawmakers confronted with declining revenue from Wyoming's coal, oil and gas industries, which have led to steep state and local cuts. — Mead Gruver, ajc, "Wyoming election changes move ahead after push by Trump Jr.," 12 Mar. 2021 The untrod path after the turnoff on the north end of the first pond indicates that most walkers on this loop turn back and miss the best, most dramatic part of the trail. — David Lyon, BostonGlobe.com, "Three walks with poets through their favorite landscapes," 28 Jan. 2021 Conditions worsened on the Seward Highway past the Hope turnoff and the department described roads as being packed with snow, rough icy patches and slush. — Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, "Ski areas close Monday as heavy winds and rain move into Southcentral Alaska," 18 Jan. 2021 These movies need to attract the widest audience possible to justify their cost, and too much of a comic nerd sensibility can be a turnoff. — New York Times, "Managing Movie Superheroes Is About to Get a Lot More Complicated," 27 Dec. 2020 That could be a lure to some but a strong turnoff to others. — Washington Post, "Now playing: A very covid Christmas," 18 Dec. 2020 Is his widening unemployment spell a turnoff for some companies? — Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, "As COVID-19 persists, more Americans are unemployed more than six months. Is that a stigma even in a pandemic?," 4 Dec. 2020 From Portland, drive east on Route 26 for 180 miles to the turnoff for the Painted Hills. — Washington Post, "In Oregon, the passage of millions of years can be seen in unusual fossils and stunning vistas," 4 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Just swipe the buttons to the left to turn off an app. — Dave Johnson, Forbes, "9 Ways You Can Spring Clean Your Computer To Make It Run Faster And Live Longer," 9 Apr. 2021 With the countdown timer feature, simply set a timer for the Smart Powerstrip to turn off its appliance automatically. — Maren Estrada, BGR, "Control four different devices with one $24 Alexa-enabled smart power strip," 1 Apr. 2021 And before the store’s lights turn off, Garrett — who was the first voice that audiences heard in the pilot — says the very last lines of the series. — Ashley Lee Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "How those emotional last minutes of the ‘Superstore’ series finale came to be," 25 Mar. 2021 Bush pleaded with the public to turn off their lights nightly from April 19 to May 7 as millions of migratory birds attempt to navigate the Texas skies. — Jay R. Jordan, Chron, "Laura Bush: Turn off your lights to save the birds," 17 Mar. 2021 Calls to the city are typically made when a resident or business cannot turn off their water, the city said, adding that if a resident or business owner can make their own repair, the city has no way of tracking it. — Dallas News, "‘Where am I going to go?’: More than a week after the storm, North Texans don’t have water," 26 Feb. 2021 While many customers who experienced an inside leak heeded the warning to turn off the water to their homes, SAWS is now urging residents to check for leaks in home irrigation systems, which often are separate from the inside plumbing. — Liz Hardaway, San Antonio Express-News, "'All hands on deck' - SAWS crews working tirelessly to get water system back up and running," 20 Feb. 2021 Walked back to the garage, got a hammer (to pry open the lid to the water box) and a wrench, to turn off the water to the sprinklers. — Wally Hall, Arkansas Online, "OPINION | WALLY HALL: I hate winter," 20 Feb. 2021 When a larger-than-life wound opens up, your hair-trigger reaction might be to turn off the pain. — Juli Fraga, SELF, "6 Ways to Deal With COVID-19 Grief and Loss," 29 Mar. 2021

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.