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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of turned down
Be forewarned, though, that consumers with lower credit scores may get turned down.
—
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
News of a Call of Duty movie emerged earlier this year, with Puck reporting that Paramount had turned down a pitch from Steven Spielberg to adapt the game into a feature film.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Israeli industry figures from major institutions, including DocAviv Festival, the CoPro market and public broadcaster Kan, have all been turned down from attending the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, one of the world’s leading documentary festivals.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
The thermostats in the residence above had been turned down low because of President Jimmy Carter’s energy conservation program, making the East Wing so cold that she was forced to wear long underwear.
—Darlene Superville, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
However, so far, WBD has turned down the Ellison entreaties.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
After an edgy week, Michigan found the volume knob and turned down the noise.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Hyatt had applied for a job with Stride in December and been turned down in February.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not in Egypt, having turned down an invitation by the White House to attend a large gathering of Middle Eastern, European and Asian leaders.
—The Hill, 13 Oct. 2025
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
News of a Call of Duty movie emerged earlier this year, with Puck reporting that Paramount had turned down a pitch from Steven Spielberg to adapt the game into a feature film.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Israeli industry figures from major institutions, including DocAviv Festival, the CoPro market and public broadcaster Kan, have all been turned down from attending the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, one of the world’s leading documentary festivals.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
The thermostats in the residence above had been turned down low because of President Jimmy Carter’s energy conservation program, making the East Wing so cold that she was forced to wear long underwear.
—Darlene Superville, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
However, so far, WBD has turned down the Ellison entreaties.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
After an edgy week, Michigan found the volume knob and turned down the noise.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Hyatt had applied for a job with Stride in December and been turned down in February.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not in Egypt, having turned down an invitation by the White House to attend a large gathering of Middle Eastern, European and Asian leaders.
—The Hill, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned down
Verb
-
The president refused to meet until the day before the deadline.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Despite this, Fortun and her partner refused to give up.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Still, this is early days, and there have been similar drugs which looked promising at the beginning but were later rejected due to safety concerns, Nadar said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
That can feel quite personal, and maybe the parents feel rejected too.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Dillard's declined to comment for this article.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Owens’ attorney, Joshua Kolsrud, who is representing her in the criminal allegations involving Echard and, now, the Scottsdale man, declined to comment, citing her pending criminal trial, which is scheduled for January 2026.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The first time Helena Morrissey had a child, she was passed up for a promotion.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
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 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share