as in refuses
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 turns down
Sentimental Value stars Stellan Skarsgård as an aging film director whose attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) are made difficult after Nora turns down a part in his next movie.
—
Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
And of course, with TV contracts, no one ever turns down the money.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Later, Taylor turns down a job offer that would bring him back to the Dillon Panthers so his wife, Tami (Britton), can pursue her dream job in Philadelphia.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
And of course, with TV contracts, no one ever turns down the money.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Later, Taylor turns down a job offer that would bring him back to the Dillon Panthers so his wife, Tami (Britton), can pursue her dream job in Philadelphia.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns down
Verb
-
If at a certain point the person refuses to cooperate, recruiters resort to blackmail, Andriy said, threatening to hand over the correspondence to the SBU.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Nearly six years later, Donovan still refuses to feed into this narrative surrounding his exit from Oklahoma City and his expectations in Chicago.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But Balzano rejects the idea that fast development automatically conflicts with automotive reliability.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Gentry rejects the notion that there are more Hancevilles out there, their scandals hidden for now.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the population ages and the number of college students declines, institutions of higher education are actively cultivating a crop of midlife and older students.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Ed Setzler declines to run to replace Barry Loudermilk.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turns down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turns%20down. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
