Synonyms of turn away

turn away

verb

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

• repel
• turn back
• resist
• repulse
• fend (off)
• beat off
• stave off
• fight
• rebut
• hold off
• oppose
• ward (off)
• withstand
• deflect
• stand off
• defy
• spurn
• rebuff
• snub

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• welcome
• embrace
• hail

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of turn away

They were turned away multiple times after failing to provide a warrant, but remained in the parking lot for roughly an hour. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Programs like the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative, which funded over 100 companies, two-thirds of them small businesses, while turning away over 300, illustrate that fierce, Darwinian competition is both inevitable and healthy in this sector. — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Those who have continued to do research have shifted focus to the impact of restrictive legislation or turned away from academia to work with advocacy and community groups, the responses showed. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026

Juno’s face is turned away from the camera, a choice Turner-Smith has consistently made when sharing photos of her daughter. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026