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
turned off; turning off; turns off
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
5
6
7
a
: to remove (material) by the process of turning
b
: to shape or produce by turning
1
: to deviate from a straight course or from a main road
turn off into a side road
3
: to lose interest : withdraw
Synonyms
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
Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
The costs associated with newsgathering and the controversies that come with 24/7 coverage might be obvious turnoffs for a tech giant like Amazon.
—Brian Stelter, CNN, 29 Sep. 2024
Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Oct. 2024
Pocket: Keep the phone further away Merely having your phone within reach – even when it’s turned off – reduces cognitive capacity, studies have shown.
—Dr. Jenny Woo, Contributor, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for turnoff 
Noun
Not demonstrating curiosity can be a turnoff to recruiters.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
The costs associated with newsgathering and the controversies that come with 24/7 coverage might be obvious turnoffs for a tech giant like Amazon.
—Brian Stelter, CNN, 29 Sep. 2024
Verb
The detective pulled over to comply with the apparent traffic stop, but instead of getting out Becker just turned off the lights and drove past him.
—Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Oct. 2024
Pocket: Keep the phone further away Merely having your phone within reach – even when it’s turned off – reduces cognitive capacity, studies have shown.
—Dr. Jenny Woo, Contributor, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for turnoff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turnoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near turnoff
Cite this Entry
“Turnoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turnoff. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
turnoff
1 of 2 noun
turn·off
ˈtər-ˌnȯf 
1
: a place where one turns off (as from a road)
2
: something that causes loss of interest or enjoyment
the music was a turnoff
turn off
2 of 2 verbˌtər-ˈnȯf,
ˈtər-
1
: to turn aside
turned off onto a side road
2
: to stop by or as if by turning a control
turn off the light
turn the alarm off
3
: to cause dislike or loss of interest
that sort of thing turns me off
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