turning off

present participle of turn off
1
2
as in deviating
to change one's course or direction turn off at the third exit and follow the ramp to your left

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of turning off In a tropical climate, turning off the AC backfires, because the energy needed to drag the room temperature back down on return is greater than the energy saved. Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026 Grid failure doesn’t just mean the lights turning off, Straubel said. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 June 2026 However, if the temperature is set too low, then the air conditioner may operate for long periods of time, rarely turning off. Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 8 June 2026 The remark came in response to my parents turning off my bedroom light. Joseph O’Neill, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 Security experts recommend turning off exterior lights overnight, but there are myriad reasons for wanting a light outside your home. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2026 Perhaps turning off the replies would have been the move, although that also would have drawn attention. Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026 Texas teacher’s arrest exposes holes in do-not-hire checks An Elgin middle school teacher accused of molesting an eighth grader had previously resigned from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department after giving a shirtless youth a skin-to-skin back rub and turning off his body camera. Jj Velasquez, San Antonio Express-News, 10 May 2026 By turning off the gene, called ANGPTL3, blood lipid levels should fall. David Cox, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning off
Verb
  • The consequences of disgusting one’s wife, whether or not one agrees with her premise, could be enormous.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Discharge Papers • Aw, The Pitt is back and happy to be disgusting again!
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The show is deviating from the order of Kennedy's books, which explored the romance between Logan and Grace in the second installment, The Mistake.
    Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
  • Charles Melton sweetly dedicated an award to his wife and newborn daughter, deviating from his famously private nature.
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • Crews are focusing on the 15 feet along the roadsides, trimming trees that are still alive to help prevent fire from laddering into the crowns and removing dead trees.
    Alan Gionet, CBS News, 21 June 2026
  • In fact, according to Rakestraw, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is assuming the babies have been abandoned and removing them immediately.
    Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Smart power strips can help reduce energy waste by automatically shutting off devices not in use.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 28 May 2026
  • Tehran cemented its grip on the Strait of Hormuz; a few more tankers managed to pass through in the last few days, albeit only by either negotiating in advance with Iran, or by shutting off their transponders and racing through.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • The young Forster recoiled from the school’s culture of authoritarianism and militaristic chauvinism, which may have found expression in the students’ often appalling attitudes toward their own mothers.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
  • Of all the recent poster boys for appalling misbehavior by the State Police, Michael Proctor would of course rank number one.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • People in their 20s and 30s are pulling chess sets, backgammon boards and mahjong tiles out of closets and grandparents’ attics, turning them into the centerpiece of their social lives.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026
  • While Svoboda is at least another year away from turning pro, Halttunen might be ready to make his NHL debut sometime during the 2026-27 season.
    Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The result was so emphatic that the Tunisian soccer federation acted fast, sacking manager Sabri Lamouchi just hours after.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
  • Villa’s then sporting director Monchi reportedly attempting a straight swap of him for goalkeeper Emi Martinez last summer is a sacking offence (perhaps literally).
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • In January 2024, Mansfield confessed to killing 18-year-old Carol Ann Barrett more than four decades earlier.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026
  • He is accused of killing a man on March 13, 2022, Broward court records show.
    Sofia Saric June 23, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turning off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20off. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster