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
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Recent Examples of turns down
If a local school board turns down a charter, the organizers can appeal to the OC Board, which covers the whole county.
—
John Seiler, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
May 14, 2014 Steve Kerr is hired Kerr turns down an offer from the New York Knicks to work with Phil Jackson, his former coach with the Chicago Bulls, to sign a five-year, $25 million contract to coach the Warriors.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 May 2026
When Towns turns down 3-point shots, the Hawks win.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
And there’s another anatomical quirk in our eyeballs that turns down our perception of blue specifically in the center of our vision.
—Nora Bradford, Scientific American, 23 Mar. 2026
But everyone seemed to agree that this year’s event was about more than just linking turns down the snowy slopes.
—James Edward Mills, Outside, 15 Mar. 2026
Stung by his firing from The Lovely Bones, Wahlberg turns down The Fighter, thinking the film won’t be a big enough splash to turn his career around.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
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
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
John Seiler, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
May 14, 2014 Steve Kerr is hired Kerr turns down an offer from the New York Knicks to work with Phil Jackson, his former coach with the Chicago Bulls, to sign a five-year, $25 million contract to coach the Warriors.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 May 2026
When Towns turns down 3-point shots, the Hawks win.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
And there’s another anatomical quirk in our eyeballs that turns down our perception of blue specifically in the center of our vision.
—Nora Bradford, Scientific American, 23 Mar. 2026
But everyone seemed to agree that this year’s event was about more than just linking turns down the snowy slopes.
—James Edward Mills, Outside, 15 Mar. 2026
Stung by his firing from The Lovely Bones, Wahlberg turns down The Fighter, thinking the film won’t be a big enough splash to turn his career around.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
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
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
-
Walk away from any firm that promises full removal of true and lawful content, offers to buy fake reviews, refuses to disclose its methods, demands long lock-in contracts without performance terms, or cannot point to verifiable third-party recognition.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
But Ruth refuses to go quietly into the dark-and-stormy night.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Building Sugarwater also reflects Carrie’s broader ethos, one that rejects a scarcity mindset and instead embraces collaboration and connectivity.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
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There’s already wide agreement within the denomination that its belief statement — the Baptist Faith and Message — rejects the appointment of women as senior pastors who lead churches.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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That’s down to the 3D model producing a little less warming for a brighter Sun, the expectation that CO2 declines more slowly over time, and a slight expansion of the CO2 range believed to be survivable by plants.—
Scott K. Johnson,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
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Scientists found that a protein called NOX4 naturally declines with age and inactivity.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turns down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turns%20down. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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