Turn off meaning
Turn off means to make a light, machine or tap stop working. It can also mean to leave a road and go onto another one.
turn something off
turn off · turned · turning
Please turn off your phones in the cinema.
Turn off meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Make a light, machine or tap stop working
turn something off
- Please turn off your phones in the cinema.
- Did you turn the oven off?
- I always turn the tap off when I brush my teeth.
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2
Leave a road and go onto another one
turn off something
- Turn off at the next exit.
- We turned off the motorway to find a café.
- The car turned off onto a side road.
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3
Make someone lose interest or feel disgust
turn somebody off
- The loud music really turned me off.
- Rude waiters turn off customers.
- That smell turned the whole class off.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use turn off in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is turn off separable?
When turn off means stop a machine, it is separable: turn off the TV, turn the TV off. A pronoun goes in the middle: turn it off.
When you leave a road, there is no object after off: Turn off here. You can add the road: turn off the main road. A turn-off is a noun, with a hyphen: Take the second turn-off.
Verb tenses for turn off
| Present | I turn off · she turns off |
|---|---|
| Past | turned off |
| Present perfect | have turned off |
| -ing form | turning off |
Common mistakes with turn off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Please turn off it.
Right: Please turn it off.
A pronoun goes between turn and off.
Wrong: Turn out the computer.
Right: Turn off the computer.
Use turn off for machines. Turn out the light is possible for lights only.
Wrong: At the junction we turned off from the road.
Right: At the junction we turned off the road.
No from: you turn off a road.
Synonyms and opposites of turn off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Turn off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Don’t forget to ___ the lights when you leave.
Turn off makes a light stop.
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2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes in the middle.
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3Which one means “leave the main road”?
Turn off can mean leave a road.
More phrasal verbs with turn
All phrasal verbs with turn, by level, with an exercise
11 phrasal verbs start with turn. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- turn onA2make a light, machine or tap start working
- turn intoB1change and become something different
- turn aroundB1change direction to face the other way
- turn overB1move something so the other side faces up
- turn awayB1turn your face or body so you do not look at something
- turn downB2say no to an offer, an invitation or a person
- turn upB2arrive, often late or when nobody expects you
- turn outB2happen or end in a particular way
- turn backB2return the way you have come, or make someone do this
- turn inB1give something to a teacher, a boss or an authority
Turn off FAQ
Questions people ask about turn off.
What does turn off mean?
It means make a machine, light or water stop. It can also mean leave a road, or make someone lose interest.
What is the difference between turn off and switch off?
There is almost no difference. Switch off is used for buttons and switches, and turn off also works with taps.
What is a turn-off?
A turn-off is a road that leaves a bigger road. It can also mean something that makes you lose interest, as in a bad smell.
Use turn off in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.