as in refusing
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 turning down
In hindsight, Julius Randle turning down a potential drive to the rim and instead lobbing a grenade to Rudy Gobert near the end of the shot clock was a harbinger of the rest of his night.
—
Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
Stanley Tucci is opening up about turning down opportunities to take part in food competition shows.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 7 May 2026
Throughout the shutdown, local TSA workers reported turning down doctor visits for their children, borrowing money from in-laws, pulling funds from savings, taking second jobs and missing credit card payments.
—Sacbee.com, 2 May 2026
He was advised by a judge that turning down the plea bargain and heading to trial exposes him to as many as 37 years in prison.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
That’s what was needed to justify turning down an offer with a big premium from a legitimate business — no matter the board’s preferred outcome for the company.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
When that venture didn’t work out, Elliott returned to the recording business, turning down overtures from Emanuel, who was the best man at his wedding, to work as an agent.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are among the sport’s top stars to steadfastly remain loyal to the PGA Tour, with Woods turning down an offer from LIV Golf of $800 million in 2022.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Some also favor turning down the heat and simmering eggs.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
Stanley Tucci is opening up about turning down opportunities to take part in food competition shows.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 7 May 2026
Throughout the shutdown, local TSA workers reported turning down doctor visits for their children, borrowing money from in-laws, pulling funds from savings, taking second jobs and missing credit card payments.
—Sacbee.com, 2 May 2026
He was advised by a judge that turning down the plea bargain and heading to trial exposes him to as many as 37 years in prison.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
That’s what was needed to justify turning down an offer with a big premium from a legitimate business — no matter the board’s preferred outcome for the company.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
When that venture didn’t work out, Elliott returned to the recording business, turning down overtures from Emanuel, who was the best man at his wedding, to work as an agent.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are among the sport’s top stars to steadfastly remain loyal to the PGA Tour, with Woods turning down an offer from LIV Golf of $800 million in 2022.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Some also favor turning down the heat and simmering eggs.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning down
Verb
-
Strickland then mocked Chimaev for refusing to fight in the parking lot.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Baldoni later accused a trio of other insurers of breach of contract for refusing to cover litigation costs.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Washington and some other states, however, started rejecting licensure applicants or revoking nurses with diplomas from those schools even before the investigation was made public.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
Some families are also rejecting the eye ointment.—
Duaa Eldeib,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
-
Poverty, lack of transportation to school and mental health struggles contribute to absenteeism and declining enrollment across San Diego County.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Charles compared people passing up investing in Amazon to how many publishers turned down the now wildly popular Harry Potter books.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That could mean passing up his best chance at the Stanley Cup.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Next, a gentle tip-tap rippling through major East Coast cities, as the girls collectively add to cart whatever Holmes is toting or throwing over her shoulders.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Pitchers are allowed two disengagements per plate appearance, either throwing over to first base or stepping off the rubber, or a combination of both.—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Murakami is working on a two-year, $34 million deal, and in an era when some teams try to lock up young talent with long and lucrative contract extensions, a 25-game sample size is a little too small for Getz to start throwing out more years and dollars.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
On Thursday, Gonzalez highlighted the defense by throwing out a runner at the plate in the second.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turning down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20down. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
