turn away

verb

Definition of turn awaynext
as in to repel
to drive back using tree branches, the campers were able to turn away the charging fox, which was apparently rabid

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of turn away Lawson said Chief wasn’t used to the camera close up and tried to turn away. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 30 July 2026 Ten thousand qualified Native scholars will be turned away from funding this year. — Laurel Donnellan, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 The king looks nightmarish, his face hidden and turned away from his child, but Nyong’o’s raw agony is more memorable. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026 At present, prison abolitionists have demanded new conditions for addressing racial capital, turning away from the brutal system of punitive measures to a framework of racial repair. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for turn away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn away
  1. repel
  2. turn back
  3. resist
  4. repulse
  5. beat off
  6. stave off
Verb
  • Ukrainian drone defenses, minefields, and artillery effectively repelled the attack, inflicting heavy losses including seven tanks and over 150 casualties.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Plants that will help repel pests that are harmful to jalapeños include basil, garlic, chives, rosemary, marigolds, and onions.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 July 2026
Definition of repel
Verb
  • Paige turned back around to find Nikki Bella hitting her with a clothesline.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities used water cannons, tear gas and warning shots to try to turn back migrants.
    — Sergio Rodrigo Ruíz, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn back
Verb
  • Once there, give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the darkness and resist checking your phone.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The barrel-leg silhouette gives them a sleeker shape, while the mid-weight fabric feels soft and resists wrinkles.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • Philly may be shedding its second-fiddle status, but it remains entirely repulsed by frauds and underachievers.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Plenty of people bought it, plenty were repulsed by it.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • Liverpool are keen for the 21-year-old to gain regular senior experience with Hartberg beating off competition from a number of clubs in Switzerland and France.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Happiness beat off competition from second place The Flaws, an absurdist comedy for ZDF that won the official competition at the same fest.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Definition of beat off
Verb
  • Brownsville residents already staved off efforts by Hialeah to annex part of the neighborhood into the city back in 2023 – an effort Pinkney fought furiously against.
    — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Perreault-Magny, a father of a toddler, said he's seen mothers carrying infants through the woods, their feet wrapped in aluminum foil to stave off the winter's cold.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Definition of stave off

Browse Nearby Words

turnarounds
turn away
turn back
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20away. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on turn away

Nglish: Translation of turn away for Spanish Speakers

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