Synonyms of turning down

turning down

verb

present participle of turn down

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

• refusing
• rejecting
• declining
• passing up
• throwing over
• balking (at)
• throwing out
• ignoring
• passing
• avoiding
• denying
• turning one's back on
• dismissing
• withdrawing
• spurning
• vetoing
• disputing
• blowing off
• disapproving
• deselecting
• shooting down
• forbidding
• repudiating
• reprobating
• abstaining (from)
• refraining (from)
• nixing
• negativing
• taking back
• backing down
• disagreeing (with)
• backing off
• scouting
• prohibiting
• overruling
• disdaining
• proscribing
• rebuffing
• unsaying
• scorning
• retracting
• renouncing
• recalling
• sticking
• forbearing
• revoking
• disclaiming
• contradicting
• refuting
• disavowing
• recanting
• controverting
• forswearing
• disproving
• gainsaying
• abjuring
• bypassing
• rebutting
• detouring
• negating
• disowning
• backtracking
• disallowing
• reneging

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• agreeing (to)
• accepting
• approving
• receiving
• swallowing
• taking
• adopting
• tolerating
• embracing
• welcoming
• agreeing
• selecting
• choosing
• consenting
• condoning
• assenting
• acceding
• countenancing
• supporting
• acquiescing
• espousing
• handpicking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of turning down

John only found peace by giving up the ring, turning down the gig, and forging his own path. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026

The woman accused of keeping him captive, 58-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, is expected to head to trial after turning down two plea deals during a hearing in Waterbury Superior Court earlier this month. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

But for a sport the size of fencing, turning down attention is an unaffordable luxury. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Closing the curtains tightly before bed and turning down the thermostat also help. — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Tucker entered last offseason as the consensus top free agent after turning down a qualifying offer from the Chicago Cubs. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

After all, the billionaire founder lived a whirlwind of a career, turning down lucrative job offers and weathering professional rejection before ultimately launching one of the world’s biggest biotech companies. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Figuring out how to stay cool at night used to mean turning down the thermostat, pointing a fan at the bed or buying lighter sheets. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026

For McConaughey, turning down The Last of Us was less about the material and more about his own life’s circumstances. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026