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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Roberts’s votes in recent years—such as his decision to deny review in cases involving service refusals—suggest a preference to limit rather than undo .—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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Two cases about the passport refusals eventually made their way to the Supreme Court.—
Time,
Time,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After numerous rejections, Guiteau's obsession with the president turned deadly.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Nov. 2025
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One year later, that same propaganda fell flat with voters in numerous key races — rejections not only of the GOP’s virulent transphobia, but rhetoric from centrist Democrats who blamed trans rights issues for the party’s losses.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them.,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The high court’s denials attest to the fact that the city is not above the state’s environmental law, Everett DeLano, a lawyer representing plaintiff Save Our Access, told the Union-Tribune on Monday.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
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Additionally, the county health system was losing $80 million to $100 million per year due to claim denials before the OIIG issued a report about that situation.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turndowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turndowns. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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