TURNING DOWN Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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 down After 12 years, three standalone movies and a holiday special, Amanda Seyfried appears to have no regrets turning down a Guardians of the Galaxy lead role. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning down

Verb

They were called in when some individuals were refusing to leave and laying down, blocking an exit.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Their lawyers spoke about the police refusing to reveal their location.

— Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

Unlike municipalities Uthmeier threatened after rejecting the agreements, these local governments have not formally accepted or rejected a 287(g) collaboration.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
And filmmakers building outside Hollywood’s traditional gates aren’t rejecting the business.

— Chaseedaw Giles, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

China was once a key profit center for Volkswagen, but now the company faces declining demand for cars there on top of fierce price competition from local carmakers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Search growth is declining, and Google is placing all its eggs in the AI basket.

— Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

That means passing up moments that are far more magical to me than to Leo.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Seoul claims Ukraine requested secrecy to avoid domestic criticism for passing up the opportunity to exchange the North Koreans for Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia.

— Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of passing up

Verb

In his breakout season in 2025, Maye showed that one of his quarterbacking superpowers is throwing over the middle of the field.

— Daniel Popper, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Tatis dealt with Patrick throwing over twice, and catcher Gary Sánchez snapping off a pickoff throw.

— Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of throwing over

Verb

Rather than throwing out the rule immediately, which could have left the program without wage rates, Sherriff left it in place and told the department to promptly develop a replacement.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Florida’s law banning minors under 14 from getting their own social media accounts is likely constitutional, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday, throwing out a lower court’s preliminary injunction against the law.

— Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of throwing out

Browse Nearby Words

turning color

turning down

turning in

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“Turning down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20down. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of turning down

verb

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