zone out

verb

zoned out; zoning out; zones out
Synonyms of zone outnext

intransitive verb

1
US, informal : to become oblivious to one's surroundings especially in order to relax
zone out in front of the TV
2
US, informal : to become unfocused or inattentive because of tiredness or boredom
Students began to zone out toward the end of the assembly.

Examples of zone out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There are good acceleration zones out of the chicanes. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026 That helps break the loop of worried thinking, Kaimal says, crowding out anxious thoughts in a way that zoning out in front of a screen often can’t. Angela Haupt, Time, 21 Apr. 2026 What about relaxing or zoning out? Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026 But ultimately, there’s nothing more appealing than a straight guy who can genuinely queen out about the important things in life (the aforementioned celeb goss, duh) without zoning out or seeming patronizing. Emma Specter, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for zone out

Word History

Etymology

of uncertain origin

Note: Attested slightly earlier is zoned "intoxicated." Zone out is perhaps in part by analogy with zone in, in part after space out, given the relative semantic proximity of space and zone. Note also that zoned is phonetically similar to zonked.

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of zone out was in 1970

Cite this Entry

“Zone out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zone%20out. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

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