kill switch

noun

plural kill switches

: a mechanism or feature on a mechanical or electronic device that allows one or more functions to be turned off or made unavailable

… mobile apps come with a selection of core VPN tools—including a kill switch that will cut your internet connection if the VPN drops. This prevents you from leaking identifiable data while the VPN reconnects, and is particularly important to anyone who uses their mobile to shop online …

—River Hart

… every mile driven came with a human safety monitor on board, sitting ready with a finger on a kill switch to instantly stop the car if necessary.

—Max McDee

—often used figuratively

… his function as the kill switch for departmental waste and mismanagement …

—Travis Durfee

Examples of kill switch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The account had no per-day limit, no spike alert and no kill switch (all platform defaults). — Andrew Siemer, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The bill would also impose criminal penalties on employees of AI companies who disable safeguards, kill switches, logging or containment systems, or who knowingly deploy an unauthorized system. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

The order does not immediately require AI companies to install a kill switch. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

There are still questions about how a kill switch would work. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kill switch

• bewitch
• caliche
• distich
• enrich
• bitch
• ditch
• fiche
• glitch
• hitch
• ich
• itch
• kitsch