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

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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 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 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 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
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
  • 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
  • Practicing deviating from our defaults, no matter how mundane, prepares us to deviate again, even in higher stakes contexts.
    — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of deviating
Verb
  • Niforatos said removing the products from the market is the best course of action.
    — Karen Morfitt, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Tate said the best way to keep snakes out of your car is by removing what’s drawing the animals in.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of removing
Verb
  • 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
  • Before Getting Started First things first, remember to turn off the water supply by shutting off the valve that’s found behind the toilet.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 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
  • Hopefully all of the drifting is turning the wheels in his brain for ideas for the next great theme park attraction.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers developed the flexible material from cotton pulp cellulose, turning an abundant renewable material into an electrically conductive hydrogel.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of turning
Verb
  • 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
  • But so far, the government has decided not to intervene by sacking him and has backpedalled, allowing Russia to participate.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of sacking
Verb
  • Such attacks are common in Nigeria, where multiple armed groups operate, killing and kidnapping people for ransom.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Plane crash in Alaska A charter plane carrying eight people crashed near a remote radar site in western Alaska, killing everyone on board.
    — Irene Byon, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of killing

Browse Nearby Words

turning loose
turning off
turning (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Turning off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20off. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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