1
as in disgusting
to cause to feel disgust
that memorably bad meal turned me off about restaurant food for a while
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in removing
to let go from office, service, or employment
eventually, the supervisor turned off the insubordinate employee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in shutting off
to cause to stop functioning
please turn off the fan when you're done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turning off
Drivers are currently turning off the self-driving feature to send a text, then turn it back on, Musk claimed, adding that doing so is less safe.
—
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Part of that is price, which is turning off buyers.
—Kelly Evans, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
The firefighters arrived about half an hour later, and were on site for approximately 20 minutes turning off the water.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
And the data collected by volunteers in DC has convinced some building managers to make changes, like turning off lights and putting treatments on some windows.
—NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Napier’s squad almost definitely isn’t turning off the lights, but the importance of player leadership, which was also a focus of Jackson’s, has reverberated through Napier’s most recent conversations.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Rampdown is the process of safely and reliably turning off plasma current circulating at speeds of up to 62 miles per second (100 km per second) at very high temperatures of over 180000032 degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius).
—Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Beyond turning off your phone, mindful eating involves following a couple easy steps.
—Violeta Valdés, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
But Sport mode was always selected soon after, which, besides adding rev-match downshifts and turning off auto stop/start, adds sharp exhaust tones to its deep-bass-induction soundtrack.
—Peter Nelson, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Part of that is price, which is turning off buyers.
—Kelly Evans, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
The firefighters arrived about half an hour later, and were on site for approximately 20 minutes turning off the water.
—Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
And the data collected by volunteers in DC has convinced some building managers to make changes, like turning off lights and putting treatments on some windows.
—NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Napier’s squad almost definitely isn’t turning off the lights, but the importance of player leadership, which was also a focus of Jackson’s, has reverberated through Napier’s most recent conversations.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Rampdown is the process of safely and reliably turning off plasma current circulating at speeds of up to 62 miles per second (100 km per second) at very high temperatures of over 180000032 degrees Fahrenheit (100 million degrees Celsius).
—Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
Beyond turning off your phone, mindful eating involves following a couple easy steps.
—Violeta Valdés, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
But Sport mode was always selected soon after, which, besides adding rev-match downshifts and turning off auto stop/start, adds sharp exhaust tones to its deep-bass-induction soundtrack.
—Peter Nelson, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning off
Verb
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And while that's true, the show is also its own beast, deviating greatly from King's story by weaving in military intrigue, spycraft, and Native American mythology.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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Reagan championed free trade while selectively deviating from it, according to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lucas offered to amend the ordinance, removing the requirement for detention facilities, as well as for other facilities or buildings paid for with public safety sales tax money.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
-
If surrounding trees are contributing to harmful debris buildup in your AC unit, pruning overhanging branches or removing the trees might be necessary to protect the unit.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When the construction project starts next year, the road into the basin will be closed, shutting off access to the area.—
Liz Teitz,
San Antonio Express-News,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The plan discussed in committee would also create parameters for providers shutting off water service to residents.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Season-defining results turning not on the ever-growing bona fide quality of the players and the performances but on farcical decision-making.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The guy wants to create a ballroom for his rich friends while turning a blind eye to the fact that babies are going to starve when the SNAP benefits end hours from now.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If Haaland isn’t my choice here, there should be serious consideration at The Athletic about sacking me.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The defensive line took advantage of a weak Auburn O-line, sacking Arnold five times.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The charges relate to his killing Scott Wonoski, 43, a fellow inmate at the Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater, in 2021.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
10 Jan. 2026
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Those on the right, determined to make the case that this was an officer killing in self-defense, should instead be beginning with this utter failure to protect the life of a civilian protester and de-escalate the situation through some means other than shooting a fellow American in the head.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Confidence can tip into defensiveness, so your challenge has a lot to do with asserting boundaries without emotional withdrawal and honoring your needs without dismissing others.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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The president spoke little about democracy in Venezuela, dismissing a potential role for its longstanding democratic opposition in running the country in the immediate aftermath of the operation.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turning off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20off. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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