INDEX:
1. to switch something on
2. to switch something off
3. when something is switched on
4. when something is switched off
5. when a machine, light etc switches on or off automatically
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ TELEVISION/RADIO
↑ COMPUTERS/INTERNET/EMAIL
↑ MACHINE
↑ START
↑ STOP
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1. to switch something on
▷ switch on /ˌswɪtʃ ˈɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something start working, for example by pressing a button - use this about things that use electricity, for example lights, televisions, or computers :
switch on something
▪ Will you switch on the television?
▪ I switched on the radio to listen to the news.
switch something on
▪ Do you mind if I switch the light on?
▪ Exhaust fumes come into the car when I switch on the air conditioner.
▷ turn on /ˌtɜːʳn ˈɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something start working, for example by turning a tap or pressing a button - use this about things that use electricity, gas, or water :
turn on something
▪ He went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
▪ Use timers to turn on indoor lights while you are away.
turn something on
▪ Do you want me to turn the lights on?
▷ put on /ˌpʊt ˈɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make a light, radio etc start working :
put the light/radio/TV/kettle etc on
▪ Eva put the kettle on to make a cup of coffee.
▪ Put the light on, then we can see what we’re doing.
▪ It was so cold I put the heating back on.
▷ start also start up /stɑːʳt, ˌstɑːʳt ˈʌp/ [transitive verb/transitive phrasal verb]
to make a car, engine, machine etc start working :
▪ She started the car and backed slowly out of the garage.
▪ Clean or replace the air filter before attempting to start the engine.
▷ get something started/going /ˌget something ˈstɑːʳtə̇d, ˈgəʊɪŋ/ [verb phrase]
get a car/engine/machine etc started/going
to succeed in making a car etc start after having some difficulty :
▪ I couldn’t get my car started this morning.
▪ He rebuilt the engine and finally got it going.
▪ It took the repairman an hour to get the washing machine going again.
▷ set off /ˌset ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to do something to make a piece of equipment that warns you about something start :
set off something
▪ Someone accidentally set off the fire alarm.
▪ Smoke alarms can be set off by smoke from cigarettes, cooking, and fireplaces.
set something off
▪ The alarm is so sensitive that the slightest movement will set it off.
▷ activate /ˈæktɪveɪt, ˈæktəveɪt/ [transitive verb]
to make a system start operating - use this especially in technical contexts :
▪ The bomb’s firing mechanism is activated by a time-clock.
▪ The smoke activated the sprinkler system.
▷ set something going /ˌset something ˈgəʊɪŋ/ [verb phrase]
to make a clock, toy, or other machine that does not have a power supply start moving :
▪ Mr Carey wound up the old clock and gently set the pendulum going.
▪ She pulled the lever that set the pump going and waited for the water.
▷ push/press a button /ˌpʊʃ, ˌpres ə ˈbʌtn/ [verb phrase]
to press a button which makes a machine start :
▪ What happens when you press this button?
▪ Somebody pushed the alarm button.
▷ throw a switch /ˌθrəʊ ə ˈswɪtʃ/ [verb phrase]
to pull a large control that switches on the electricity supply to something :
▪ The Speaker of the House threw the switch for the Christmas tree lights in front of the Capitol building.
2. to switch something off
▷ switch off /ˌswɪtʃ ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something stop working, for example by pressing a button - use this about things that use electricity, for example, lights, televisions, or computers :
switch off something
▪ Always switch off your computer when you’ve finished.
switch something off
▪ It’s OK - I switched the TV off before I went out.
▷ turn off /ˌtɜːʳn ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something stop working, for example by pressing a button or turning a tap - use this about things that use electricity, gas, or water :
turn off something
▪ Would you turn off the heater before you go to bed?
turn something off
▪ You forgot to turn the oven off!
▷ stop /stɒpǁstɑːp/ [transitive verb]
to make an engine or a machine stop working :
▪ George stopped the engine and got out of the car.
▪ We had to stop the pump and unblock it.
▷ push/press a button /ˌpʊʃ, ˌpres ə ˈbʌtn/ [verb phrase]
to press a button that makes a machine stop :
▪ If you want it to stop, just press the red button.
▷ put out /ˌpʊt ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to switch a light off :
put out something
▪ Norma put out the light and went to sleep.
put something out
▪ Could you put the lamp out in the bedroom, please?
▷ turn out /ˌtɜːʳn ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make a light stop working by pressing a button :
▪ Don’t forget to turn out the lights when you go to bed, okay Annie?
▷ shut off/down /ˌʃʌt ˈɒf, ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if you shut off or shut down a machine, you make it stop operating :
▪ The computer automatically shuts off the pump when no water is flowing.
▪ The Department of Energy shut down the reactor because of safety considerations.
▷ unplug /ʌnˈplʌg/ [transitive verb]
to remove the thing that connects a piece of electrical equipment to the main electricity supply, so that it is no longer connected to it :
▪ Did you remember to unplug the kettle?
▪ I was getting a lot of crank calls, so I started unplugging my phone at night.
▷ disconnect /ˌdɪskəˈnekt/ [transitive verb] formal
to separate a piece of equipment from the main electricity or gas supply so that it is no longer connected to it :
▪ Once a car has started, the engine would continue to run even if you disconnected the battery.
3. when something is switched on
▷ on /ɒnǁɔːn, ɑːn/ [adverb/adjective not before noun]
if something is on, it is working - use this about lights, machines, and other things that use electricity, gas, or water :
▪ Is the heating on? I’m freezing.
leave something on
▪ Did you leave the kitchen light on?
keep something on
▪ In the winter, I keep the gas fire on all day.
▷ be switched on /biː ˌswɪtʃt ˈɒn/ [verb phrase]
use this about things that use electricity, for example, machines, computers, or heating equipment :
▪ A green light shows that the computer is switched on.
▪ I don’t think he has his cell phone switched on.
▪ Have you checked that the power is switched on?
▷ be turned on /biː ˌtɜːʳnd ˈɒn/ [verb phrase]
use this about machines or about the electricity, gas, or water supply :
▪ If the boiler fails to light, first check that the gas is turned on.
▪ Is the switch turned on?
▷ be running /biː ˈrʌnɪŋ/ [verb phrase]
if an engine or a machine is running, it is working and its parts are moving :
▪ Do not touch the machine while it is running.
leave something running
▪ Nick left the engine running to warm it up, while he buckled the children into their car seats.
▷ be going /biː ˈgəʊɪŋ/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
if a machine is going, it is working and its parts are moving :
▪ The clock stopped during the night, but it’s going again now.
▪ The washing machine’s going, I can hear it.
▷ be working /biː ˈwɜːʳkɪŋ/ [verb phrase]
if a machine or piece of equipment is working, it has been switched on and is doing what it is supposed to do :
▪ You mustn’t open the lid while the sterilizer is working.
▪ You can hear the pump in the refrigerator when it’s working.
▷ be ticking over /biː ˌtɪkɪŋ ˈəʊvəʳ/ [verb phrase] British
if an engine or a vehicle is ticking over, it is working just enough to be on, but at its lowest level :
▪ The plane’s engines were ticking over just enough to hold position in the air.
▪ He left the car ticking over while he dashed into the house.
4. when something is switched off
▷ off /ɒfǁɔːf/ [adverb/adjective not before noun]
if something is off, someone has switched it off to make it stop working - use this about lights, machines, and other things that use electricity, gas, or water :
▪ Is the cooker off? I can smell gas.
▪ I don’t think anyone’s at home. All the lights are off.
▷ be switched off /biː ˌswɪtʃt ˈɒf/ [verb phrase]
use this about things that use electricity, for example, machines, computers, or heating equipment :
▪ Do you mean the alarm was switched off all night?
▪ He didn’t realize the microphone was switched off.
▷ be turned off /biː ˌtɜːʳnd ˈɒf/ [verb phrase]
use this about lights or machines, or about the electricity, gas, or water supply :
▪ Make sure everything’s turned off before you leave the house.
▪ The machine is only turned off for a few minutes at a time.
▷ out /aʊt/ [adverb/adjective not before noun]
if a light is out, it is not shining because it has been switched off or because there is no electricity :
▪ She must have left the office as her light is out.
▪ All the lights in the house were out.
▷ disconnected /ˌdɪskəˈnektɪd, ˌdɪskəˈnektəd/ [adjective not before noun]
a machine, telephone, water supply etc that is disconnected has had its power supply, water supply, gas supply etc completely removed so that it cannot be used :
▪ That washing machine doesn’t work. It’s been disconnected.
▪ When the power was disconnected, he carefully removed the back of the computer.
▷ off the hook /ˌɒf ðə ˈhʊk/ [adjective phrase]
a telephone that is off the hook has not been put back correctly or has been arranged so you cannot receive any calls :
▪ I’ve been trying to call her for about half an hour. I think her phone must be off the hook.
take the phone off the hook
▪ I locked the door and took the phone off the hook so no one could disturb me.
5. when a machine, light etc switches on or off automatically
▷ come/go on /ˌkʌm, ˌgəʊ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a machine, light etc comes or goes on, it starts working, especially because you have set a time for it to start - use this about things that use electricity, gas, or water :
▪ The heating comes on automatically.
▪ Every so often, our TV just goes on by itself.
▷ switch/turn on /ˌswɪtʃ, ˌtɜːʳn ˈɒn/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
if a machine, light etc switches on, it starts working - use this about things that use electricity :
▪ Clap your hands twice, and the light switches on.
switch/turn itself on
▪ Water softening systems turn themselves on at night to clean the system.
▷ go out /ˌgəʊ ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a light goes out, it stops shining, for example because it is broken or because there is no electricity :
▪ Suddenly all the lights went out.
▪ The street lights have a light sensor that makes them automatically go out at dawn.
▷ go off /ˌgəʊ ˈɒf/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if a machine, light etc goes off, it stops working - use this about things that use electricity, water, or gas :
▪ The heating goes off at 10:30.
▪ After the 30-car train passed, the flashing red lights went off and the arms blocking traffic went up.
▷ shut off/down /ˌʃʌt ˈɒf, ˈdaʊn/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
if a machine shuts off or shuts down, it stops operating :
▪ The pump automatically shuts down when no water is flowing.
shut itself off/down
▪ Something caused the computer to switch itself off.
▷ switch/turn off /ˌswɪtʃ, ˌtɜːʳn ˈɒf/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
if a machine, light etc switches or turns off, it stops working - use this about things that use electricity :
▪ The bulb inside the refrigerator switches off when you close the door.
switch/turn itself off
▪ If an automatic can opener fails to turn itself off, food is probably jamming the cutter.