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
So far, Alvarez has turned down a couple of agreements struck by Atetlico with Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal because of this.
—
Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
We were turned down and practically thrown out by every studio more than once.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
Sure, there’s a new director (Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter of the original, is taking over for David Fincher) and a new actor is playing Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong replaces Jesse Eisenberg, who turned down the project).
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 June 2026
Shortly after Pino turned down the chance to testify, the defense rested its case.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
The British newspaper reported that Hockney is believed to have turned down a knighthood on several occasions and is said to have once refused an invitation to paint the late Queen Elizabeth.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
In February, he was turned down for another job.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Aguirre turned down a four-year contract offer from the FMF to remain as Mexico’s coach.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 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
Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
We were turned down and practically thrown out by every studio more than once.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
Sure, there’s a new director (Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter of the original, is taking over for David Fincher) and a new actor is playing Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong replaces Jesse Eisenberg, who turned down the project).
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 17 June 2026
Shortly after Pino turned down the chance to testify, the defense rested its case.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
The British newspaper reported that Hockney is believed to have turned down a knighthood on several occasions and is said to have once refused an invitation to paint the late Queen Elizabeth.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
In February, he was turned down for another job.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Aguirre turned down a four-year contract offer from the FMF to remain as Mexico’s coach.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned down
Verb
-
One, Sam Hentges, apparently refused to wear it at all, appearing in the traditional cap the Giants wear the other 161 games.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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Sojourner Truth refused to be defined by the stereotypes society tried to construct about her.—
Jocelyn Frye,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Officials in Hood County, Texas, for example, rejected a proposal for a six-month moratorium after a state senator urged the Texas attorney general to intervene and prevent the measure.—
Rachel Mural,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
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New Delhi, however, rejected the claim, insisting the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral talks with Pakistan.—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Florida citrus acreage declined from nearly 749,000 acres in 2004 to approximately 275,000 acres in 2024.—
Paul Meador,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2026
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The National Labor Relations Board declined jurisdiction on narrow grounds, warning that allowing one private-school team to unionize while most FBS programs were public universities could create instability.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 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
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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 21 Jun. 2026.
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