as in refusals
an unwillingness to grant something asked for
the request to use the restroom was just a formality—I really didn't expect a turndown
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Recent Examples of turndowns
Indeed, the board’s few celebrity turndowns seem to have more to do with how no one was too intimidated to submit an application.
—
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 13 Aug. 2025
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turndowns
Noun
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Medical staff were ordered to make sure all refusals of medical treatment were made directly to them and documented.—
Christopher Damien,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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White said ride refusals are particularly an issue for members of the blind community who travel with service animals.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One by one, the rejections piled up — Whole Foods.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
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The board paid 50 building engineers and 123 cafeteria workers who volunteered to clean schools this month as a stopgap after the two contract rejections.—
Bri Hatch,
Chalkbeat,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Social Security Administration’s sudden reversal of its earlier denials about DOGE’s rampage through its most sensitive records rattled Social Security advocacy groups.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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While there are allegations that surveillance cameras operated by such retail partners as Flock Safety are being use to assist ICE raids as some activist investors charge, retailers should assert this electronic collaborating is not true—consistent with denials by Flock Safety.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turndowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turndowns. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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