turn away

verb

turned away; turning away; turns away

transitive verb

1

a

: to refuse admittance or acceptance to

b

: to send away : reject, dismiss

c

: repel

2

: deflect sense 2, avert

intransitive verb

: to start to go away : depart

Synonyms of turn away

• repel
• turn back
• resist
• repulse
• fend (off)
• beat off
• stave off

Examples of turn away in a Sentence

using tree branches, the campers were able to turn away the charging fox, which was apparently rabid

Recent Examples on the Web

Cook, meanwhile, turned away from electronics toward acoustic instruments, taking inspiration from Nick Drake, Bert Jansch and the Incredible String Band. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2026

The Eiffel Tower was recently forced to turn away visitors and close its operations for a full day after staff initiated a sudden strike, AP reported. — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

By the 1980s, England was beginning its turn away from churchgoing as a cornerstone of society, so nothing as extroverted or nakedly clerical as gospel choirs would fit a downcast, monochromatic land anyhow. — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026

The face of one subject is somewhat obscured, turned away from the camera. — Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for turn away

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway

Kids Definition

turn away

verb

: to refuse to let in : send away

all the seats were sold and a large crowd had to be turned away