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
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Recent Examples of turning down
No one is turning down the heat.
—
Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
His 47 percent conversion rate on those attempts isn’t quite high enough to warrant turning down layups that could lead to three-point plays and put opponents into foul trouble.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
March 21 – April 19 The universe is turning down the volume.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Aries March 21 – April 19 The universe is turning down the volume.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
Such a visit could be the ticket to turning down the temperature in a rapidly accelerating sub-regional showdown whose costs will be borne by the sub-region’s approximately 200 million people.
—Cameron Hudson, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Torquing and turning down a mountain at 85 miles per hour without an ACL – its sole anatomical purpose is to connect the femur to the tibia and protect the bones from shifting – is, at best, not recommended and, at worst, slightly reckless.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
The kind of boss who would crawl inside your abdomen instead of turning down the air-conditioning, Bradley suddenly can’t function without Linda.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Born in Laurel, Mississippi, on November 29, 1935, Ladd was interested in acting from a young age, even turning down a college scholarship to pursue the craft.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
His 47 percent conversion rate on those attempts isn’t quite high enough to warrant turning down layups that could lead to three-point plays and put opponents into foul trouble.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
March 21 – April 19 The universe is turning down the volume.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
Aries March 21 – April 19 The universe is turning down the volume.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
Such a visit could be the ticket to turning down the temperature in a rapidly accelerating sub-regional showdown whose costs will be borne by the sub-region’s approximately 200 million people.
—Cameron Hudson, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Torquing and turning down a mountain at 85 miles per hour without an ACL – its sole anatomical purpose is to connect the femur to the tibia and protect the bones from shifting – is, at best, not recommended and, at worst, slightly reckless.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
The kind of boss who would crawl inside your abdomen instead of turning down the air-conditioning, Bradley suddenly can’t function without Linda.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
Born in Laurel, Mississippi, on November 29, 1935, Ladd was interested in acting from a young age, even turning down a college scholarship to pursue the craft.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning down
Verb
-
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that Madrid’s position of refusing to allow the country’s military bases to be used in the ongoing Iran war had now changed.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Last month, the agency faced a firestorm of criticism for initially refusing to review an application from Moderna for an mRNA flu vaccine before ultimately accepting the application with some adjustments.—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some African governments are rejecting American health funding agreements over data and privacy concerns.—
Adrian Elimian,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Saying no can feel a bit like rejecting the praise itself.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of coming from declining direct-to-home satellite taxes, the money would come directly from state sales and use taxes.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Redick pointed to Luka Doncic’s season-high 15 assists, which were lost in the noise of the Slovenian star passing up a potential game-winning 3-pointer.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
27 Feb. 2026
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But Schottenheimer’s reason for frequently passing up field goals for touchdowns had some logic behind it.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The zone-heavy Chargers forced Hurts to beat them by throwing over the middle — a region Hurts attacks half as often as his peers — and Hurts was inconsistent.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Winter can be tough on houseplants, but don't go throwing out a dead-looking plant just yet.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
-
But talking loudly and throwing out numbers that give the impression of action without many of these actions taking place are not what a respectable leader does.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turning down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20down. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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