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
As local Fox affiliate WPMT reports, Mervin Raudabaugh, who has farmed the surrounding land for more than 60 years, turned down more than $15 million from data center developers in a package deal that involved three neighboring property owners as well.
—
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
That might explain why 90% of denial appeals in Florida are turned down.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
Pipe break changes financial considerations Meanwhile, the agency turned down a request for an additional $100,000 for a separate fish habitat project from the same group, citing the need to reassess its finances following the rupture.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The Chinese authorities reportedly turned down the idea, preferring instead to deal with European leaders one by one, and Macron agreed to come without his EU counterpart.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
The report comes after Shuter reported in September 2025 that Swift turned down performing the 2026 Super Bowl after negotiations with the NFL fell through.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 18 Feb. 2026
The Alentejo Coast, Portugal Running south from Comporta to the Algarve’s quieter fringes, the Alentejo is coastal Portugal with the volume turned down to almost zero.
—Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2026
Doctors’ requests for lab work were often turned down because of logistical hurdles, partly due to the number of agencies working together on the base, the officers said.
—Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
When Manchester United turned down the opportunity for their Amazon documentary last summer, the veto was applied by Ruben Amorim, then the club’s head coach.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 19 Feb. 2026
That might explain why 90% of denial appeals in Florida are turned down.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
Pipe break changes financial considerations Meanwhile, the agency turned down a request for an additional $100,000 for a separate fish habitat project from the same group, citing the need to reassess its finances following the rupture.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026
The Chinese authorities reportedly turned down the idea, preferring instead to deal with European leaders one by one, and Macron agreed to come without his EU counterpart.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
The report comes after Shuter reported in September 2025 that Swift turned down performing the 2026 Super Bowl after negotiations with the NFL fell through.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 18 Feb. 2026
The Alentejo Coast, Portugal Running south from Comporta to the Algarve’s quieter fringes, the Alentejo is coastal Portugal with the volume turned down to almost zero.
—Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2026
Doctors’ requests for lab work were often turned down because of logistical hurdles, partly due to the number of agencies working together on the base, the officers said.
—Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
When Manchester United turned down the opportunity for their Amazon documentary last summer, the veto was applied by Ruben Amorim, then the club’s head coach.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned down
Verb
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But Barakat refused to let his team go down on senior night, driving to the basket and scoring with three seconds remaining to force OT.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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Two others refused medical treatment, Livengood said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tehran has rejected those accusations and said the cases involved legitimate security concerns.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Earlier this legislative session, a committee rejected a 50-year sales exemption for data center purchases of equipment and software.—
Makenzie Huber,
States Newsroom,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump has also, thus far, declined meeting Pahlavi, who has lived in Washington since his family’s exile in 1979.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, pathways responsible for synthesizing certain B vitamins declined, suggesting the community was reallocating its biochemical resources rather than simply increasing activity across the board.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The first time Helena Morrissey had a child, she was passed up for a promotion.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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McAtamney’s lack of field goal range also played a part in this game because the Giants passed up attempts.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turned down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turned%20down. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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