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, avert

intransitive verb

: to start to go away : depart

Synonyms

• 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

There was Skubal, the best pitcher in the American League, inexplicably trying to flip the ball between his legs, back turned away from first. —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

Fry, 29, fell to the ground with a bloodied face while Skubal covered his eyes, tossed his cap and turned away from the scene. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025

The turn away from Leninism, however, hardly meant a rejection of socialism, which for most Soviet citizens, including most dissidents, had become an accepted way of life, something taken for granted and only loosely related to Leninism, or, for that matter, to law and rights. —Benjamin Nathans september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025

Local solar installers are now fully booked and turning away new customers ahead of the December 31 deadline. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for turn away

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• 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