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
Disney executives turned down Imagineering proposals to refurbish Disneyland’s aging Tomorrowland, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
—
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Blockbuster turned down the opportunity to buy Netflix in 2000.
—Natalie Jarvey, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2026
Thursday night, their second cat, Allie, was found and returned home thanks to a trap set by a neighbor, who turned down the reward money the family had offered.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Another player expected to join Inter Miami is 26-year-old Argentine right back Facundo Muro, who turned down an offer from River Plate to join Messi and Miami’s large Argentine contingent.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2026
McIlroy has long been one of LIV Golf’s harshest critics and turned down multi-million-dollar offers to join the tour.
—Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Greece and Cyprus turned down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics in their capitals.
—Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
People have to show they’ve been turned down by at least three companies.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Haddish had auditioned for Saturday Night Live multiple times and been turned down.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Blockbuster turned down the opportunity to buy Netflix in 2000.
—Natalie Jarvey, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2026
Thursday night, their second cat, Allie, was found and returned home thanks to a trap set by a neighbor, who turned down the reward money the family had offered.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Another player expected to join Inter Miami is 26-year-old Argentine right back Facundo Muro, who turned down an offer from River Plate to join Messi and Miami’s large Argentine contingent.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2026
McIlroy has long been one of LIV Golf’s harshest critics and turned down multi-million-dollar offers to join the tour.
—Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Greece and Cyprus turned down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics in their capitals.
—Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
People have to show they’ve been turned down by at least three companies.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Haddish had auditioned for Saturday Night Live multiple times and been turned down.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned down
Verb
-
There were the elections in 2024 that the opposition won, but Maduro refused to accept the result.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
During our first visit, Maryam, embarrassed by her English, refused to ask the salesperson a question.—
Jennifer Obel,
Denver Post,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During the strike in October, Kaiser rejected workers’ claims about understaffing, insisting that wages are the main reason why workers walked picket lines.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Jan. 2026
-
And having sensitivity and being an actor, where you’re rejected more often than not is challenging.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Since the mandate, neural tube defects have dramatically declined in almost every single ethnic population except for Latinos, according to Jaffery.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
January 12,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Wiener declined to answer the question in either direction.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
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 18 Jan. 2026.
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