as in refused
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
I'm afraid that I will have to turn down your invitation
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Recent Examples of turned down
But by Wednesday night, two artists had already backed out of or turned down the opportunity.
—
Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Reck has turned down multiple offers to move to Silicon Valley since the site launched in 2009 because Europe has clear advantages.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 28 May 2026
Pawlikowski initially turned down the opportunity to adapt the book into a full-on biographical film of Mann’s life.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 May 2026
As Cal and Belle are being shot at, Kayce, who just turned down Tom’s offer to buy his East Camp ranch, is riding off into the sunset with his new love interest, Weaver’s daughter Dolly (Ellyn Jameson), and Kayce’s son Tate is heading off with Tom — neither aware of the threat lurking ahead.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Who among us would have turned down a pay increase, the status of being one of 20 Premier League managers and, most crucially of all, the opportunity to move back home and see your young family every day rather than once or twice each week when training schedules allowed?
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Soderquist said art museums across the United States turned down his offer to loan the painting.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 24 May 2026
Emery and Linehan said that the conviction review unit’s decision to turned down the case led them to file their motion this month.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
In April, the museum turned down the Guggenheim Bilbao’s request to borrow Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, one of the key jewels in its collection, prompting Basque officials to seek meetings with Spain’s culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, to determine whether the refusal could be overridden.
—News Desk, Artforum, 22 May 2026
Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Reck has turned down multiple offers to move to Silicon Valley since the site launched in 2009 because Europe has clear advantages.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 28 May 2026
Pawlikowski initially turned down the opportunity to adapt the book into a full-on biographical film of Mann’s life.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 May 2026
As Cal and Belle are being shot at, Kayce, who just turned down Tom’s offer to buy his East Camp ranch, is riding off into the sunset with his new love interest, Weaver’s daughter Dolly (Ellyn Jameson), and Kayce’s son Tate is heading off with Tom — neither aware of the threat lurking ahead.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Who among us would have turned down a pay increase, the status of being one of 20 Premier League managers and, most crucially of all, the opportunity to move back home and see your young family every day rather than once or twice each week when training schedules allowed?
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Soderquist said art museums across the United States turned down his offer to loan the painting.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 24 May 2026
Emery and Linehan said that the conviction review unit’s decision to turned down the case led them to file their motion this month.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
In April, the museum turned down the Guggenheim Bilbao’s request to borrow Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, one of the key jewels in its collection, prompting Basque officials to seek meetings with Spain’s culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, to determine whether the refusal could be overridden.
—News Desk, Artforum, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned down
Verb
-
The stories below belong to 13 Black women who refused to be reduced to a statistic.—
Ayren Jackson-Cannady,
SELF,
29 May 2026
-
Allen refused to unload the bike, which weighed roughly 300 pounds, according to court records.—
Rose Evans
Updated May 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
New Hampshire, which rejected the DNC’s plan, held a leadoff primary ahead of South Carolina anyway, and Biden — who didn’t campaign or have his name on the ballot — still won by a sizable margin after supporters mounted a write-in campaign on his behalf.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
-
Voters rejected a state ballot proposal in 1998 to legalize the prescription of lethal medication to help terminally ill, competent, informed adults commit suicide in Michigan, with 71% voting against the initiative.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Enrollment declined the past two years at DU after years of growth, Rinehart said.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
When asked about her challenging Qualls in a primary, her campaign declined to comment Saturday.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Most general manager candidates cannot afford to be picky, especially those on the older end of the spectrum who have been passed up for previous jobs.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
Origin In 1976 Mattel passed up the opportunity to become the exclusive producer of Star Wars toys, which went on to become multimillion-dollar bestsellers.—
Sanat Pai RaikarAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turned down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turned%20down. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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