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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French President Emmanuel Macron blasted tech company executives of social media platforms over refusals to limit or restrict speech.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Feb. 2026
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Conversation starters → Guy Fieri, a chef famous for trying everything, has revealed a few firm food refusals.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The comments were in response to questions about an editorial published earlier this week in The Wall Street Journal that questioned Prasad’s role in the rejections and accused Prasad of insisting on clinical trials that are too difficult and expensive to pull off.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
27 Feb. 2026
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For workers, that might look like applying for jobs despite already receiving countless rejections.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Medicare Advantage plans often impose the strictest limits, leaving patients and providers caught in an exhausting cycle of denials and appeals.—
Alex Mejia Garcia,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
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The insurer has come under heavy criticism from fire victims over its handling of claims, including complaints of low payout offers, denials for toxin testing and delays in payments for living expenses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turndowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turndowns. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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