toggle

1 of 2

noun

tog·​gle ˈtä-gəl How to pronounce toggle (audio)
1
: a piece or device for holding or securing: such as
a
: a pin inserted in a nautical knot to make it more secure or easier to slip
b
: a crosspiece attached to the end of or to a loop in something (such as a chain, rope, line, strap, or belt) usually to prevent slipping, to serve in twisting or tightening, or to hold something attached
2
: a device consisting of two bars jointed together end to end but not in line so that when a force is applied to the joint tending to straighten it pressure will be exerted on the parts adjacent or fixed to the outer ends of the bars
also : a device with a joint using a toggle
3
computers : a setting that can be switched between two different options by performing a single action (such as selecting a menu option or pressing a key)

toggle

2 of 2

verb

toggled; toggling ˈtä-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce toggle (audio) ; toggles

transitive verb

1
: to fasten with or as if with a toggle
2
: to furnish with a toggle
3
: to switch between two different options for (something, such as a computer setting) usually by pressing a single button or a simple key combination
toggle the sound on a computer off and on

intransitive verb

: to switch between usually two different options, states, or activities : alternate, cycle
Prevent bad habits by intervening when kids toggle between texting and studying …Phyllis Fagell
The brain continues to toggle back and forth between non-REM and REM sleep throughout the night, once every hour and a half.Alice Park et al.
specifically : to change between usually two options of an electronic device by means of a simple hardware or software control (such as a button, a switch, or a combination of keys)
You also get … an icon that lets you toggle between keyboard and gamepad controls. Ian Paul
Users can toggle between these three views at any time, offering a more customizable way to consume the content on the site. Arielle Pardes
… a prompt asks for permission to access the front-facing camera. As with any app, this permission can be toggled on or off … Joe Rossignol
Using the steering wheel, you can toggle through various layouts including navigation, trip computer, audio, driver's assistance features, and a tachometer. Benjamin Zhang

Examples of toggle in a Sentence

Noun Instead of buttons, the jacket has toggles.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These Sorel snow boots come in toddler, little kid, and big kid sizes, and an adjustable ankle strap and toggle cinch keep snow and wetness out. Karthika Gupta, Parents, 11 Jan. 2024 Engaging this mode requires a simple long press of the second button, activating a sequence that intelligently toggles temperatures between warm and cool settings. Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024 Chinn’s film toggles between the anguish that envelopes mother and daughter and the developments of a routine coming-of-age story. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024 The camera has a toggle to flip on content credentials, which is based on the C2PA’s open technical standard. IEEE Spectrum, 17 Nov. 2023 That last toggle supports near, far, or full-range autofocus, with 10 meters as the cutoff point. PCMAG, 1 Feb. 2024 Make sure any toggles here are off (a gray dot instead of a green check mark). Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024 Finally, after all that clicking, locate the toggle labeled Storage and usage of sensitive personal information that appears on the last page and switch it off. Reece Rogers, WIRED, 19 Jan. 2024 This is a great feature, but something got lost in translation with the design—the toggle for switching between the settings is awkwardly placed. Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2024
Verb
In some cases, the customer may be able to toggle off tracking options. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 Next to the dot-matrix screen is a button that controls the display, toggling different functions at a press. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Mainstream adventure films often toggle between expository and action sequences with wearyingly predictability; here, everything flows. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Lenovo is working on adding an opaque privacy layer to the screen that users could toggle on for a more incognito experience. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 Please check back again soon for the recorded video. LIVE VIDEO TO BEGIN AFTER AD Loaded: 0% 0:00 Progress: 0% Use up and down arrows to change volume, and spacebar or enter to toggle mute. Simon Hill Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2024 This also includes everything from heart rate monitoring, resting heart rate alerts to stress monitoring toggled on. Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Steve Kerr toggled through dozens of lineup combinations as the team blew scores of leads. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 The beauty of this region is the element of ying and yang, a duality, between the Italian and French side and toggling between the two countries. Hannah Seligson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toggle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of toggle was circa 1775

Dictionary Entries Near toggle

Cite this Entry

“Toggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toggle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

toggle

1 of 2 noun
tog·​gle ˈtäg-əl How to pronounce toggle (audio)
: a crosspiece attached to the end of or to a loop in a rope, chain, or belt to prevent slipping or to serve as a fastening or as a grip for tightening
used a stick as a toggle in tightening a rope

toggle

2 of 2 verb
1
: to fasten with or as if with a toggle
2
: to furnish with a toggle
3
: to switch between two options especially of an electronic device usually by pressing a single button or a simple key combination
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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