turning away

verb

present participle of turn away
as in turning back
to drive back using tree branches, the campers were able to turn away the charging fox, which was apparently rabid

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 away Many political scientists attribute the narrowing of the gender gap in religiosity to more young women turning away from religion rather than more young men turning toward it. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 9 July 2026 The ball in the net, the goalkeeper reacting, fans erupting in the background, and Messi already turning away with his arms raised. — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026 The photos, plain and anonymous, feature a woman in a white dress, her head cropped out of the photo and a girl in pink, heavily blurred, turning away from the camera to reveal a braid garnished with a delicate bow. — Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 25 June 2026 Fracturing politics So far, Britain’s increasingly fractured political landscape has benefited Reform UK, as people have felt increasingly confident turning away from the country’s two major parties – Labour and the Conservatives. — Katie Marie Davies, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026 Officers doubled over coughing after turning away from the smoke. — ABC News, 18 June 2026 The Congolese defense was steely against the Portugal attack, turning away entry after entry into the box. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 June 2026 In the experiment, a familiar caregiver—the child’s parent or the pet’s owner—interacted with a sponge before turning away. — Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Scientific American, 10 June 2026 But when turning away becomes habitual, relationships begin to feel emotionally lonely. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning away
  1. turning back
  2. repulsing
  3. repelling
  4. resisting
  5. beating off
Verb
  • Exhausted after turning back a Spain barrage in a scoreless draw to start this tournament, Vozinha released tears as memorable as Messi’s.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The front-9 and the beginning of the back-9 holes play mostly away from the coastline, but play moves back towards the Moray Firth on the par-4 13th, hugging the waterline for the 14th, 15th, and 16th holes before turning back towards the clubhouse.
    — Zach Schenfisch, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of turning back
Verb
  • While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Definition of repulsing
Verb
  • Argentina’s wily, extroverted goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, was its standout performer, repelling some, spilling others.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • During the Iran-Iraq War of 1980–88, which Khomeini prolonged for several years after repelling the Iraqi invasion, a disproportionate burden fell on Iranians in the southwestern and western provinces.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of repelling
Verb
  • Kidd likened resisting regulation of riding in truck beds to defying seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • This means resisting proprietary systems, which often become maintenance traps, and instead training employees to be smart, efficient operators.
    — John Hall, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of resisting
Verb
  • Liverpool are keen for the 21-year-old to gain regular senior experience with Hartberg beating off competition from a number of clubs in Switzerland and France.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of beating off

Browse Nearby Words

turning around
turning away
turning back
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turning away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20away. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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