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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turned down
Verb
-
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
-
At multiple locations blocks from the Garden, crowds refused numerous verbal commands to disperse, police said.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
In May 2023, Quiñones rejected a call-up to the national team, however, and began playing for Mexico later that year.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
But initial attempts to send her to Tahiti, a French dependency, about 1,350 miles — or a 30-hour sea journey — from Pitcairn, were rejected by French Polynesian authorities.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
11 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
-
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
-
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 15 Jun. 2026.
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