turning off

verb

present participle of turn off
1
as in disgusting
to cause to feel disgust that memorably bad meal turned me off about restaurant food for a while

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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

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4
as in shutting off
to cause to stop functioning please turn off the fan when you're done

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 response, Macron warned that if American companies can switch off access to breakthroughs like turning off a light, the value of these leading US innovators could itself be damaged. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 These tankers may be turning off their tracking signals to avoid detection, experts told CNN. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 So, turning off model training does not necessarily turn off memory or every form of personalization. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Since taking office last year, his government has taken proactive steps to improve ties with North Korea, including turning off front line loudspeakers that blared K-pop music and world news. — Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 And research has found that after about 10 seconds, any savings from idling – rather than turning off a vehicle – are surpassed by the cost of the fuel burned. — Richard Marcantonio, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 Sink advises turning off water fountains and waterfalls during the day when temperatures are at their peak. — Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning off
  1. disgusting
  2. deviating
  3. removing
  4. shutting off
  5. appalling
  6. turning
  7. sacking
  8. killing
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
Definition of disgusting
Verb
  • The artisans stay true to the original colors and designs of the park — never deviating in 70 years.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In 2024, the government decided against deviating from the 2021 census questions in the interests of maintaining social cohesion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of deviating
Verb
  • The purpose of the system is therefore to create coherence without removing the judgment required to communicate with sensitivity.
    — Goran Paun, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • From removing stubborn stains to softening scratchy towels, vinegar consistently tackles the problems that detergents and fabric softeners sometimes leave behind.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of removing
Verb
  • Dunleavy said the conditions did not meet the company’s internal standards for shutting off the lines.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Always prioritize safety by checking for electrical hazards and shutting off power to the affected area if needed.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of shutting off
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
Definition of appalling
Verb
  • Investigators say Santos was barred from trading on his own attendance but still placed large bets and issued misleading social media posts aimed at moving prices, turning a $17,839 profit.
    — Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For generations of American teenagers, turning 16 and getting a driver’s license has been a rite of passage—and a first taste of independence.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of turning
Verb
  • Whereas owners previously diffused negative situations by sacking a head coach, changing a sporting director or someone prominent within the department can now have a similar effect.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The museum replaced him with Sasha Suda, hiring her away from the National Gallery of Canada before sacking her following a disastrous rebrand and replacing her with Weiss, a former president of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 29 July 2026
Definition of sacking
Verb
  • The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.
    — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • On the last day of February, the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and attacking targets across the country.
    — Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of killing

Browse Nearby Words

turning loose
turning off
turning (on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turning off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20off. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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