turns down

verb

present tense third-person singular of turn down
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

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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 When Towns turns down 3-point shots, the Hawks win. — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 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 Pairing a floral sundress with a pair of white sneakers turns down the volume on the feminine formality, making the classic piece a bit less fussy. — Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 18 June 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 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 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turns down
  1. refuses
  2. rejects
  3. declines
Verb
  • Despite the seriocomic set-up, as Vibeke gets more unstable, Mengel refuses to play her irrationality for laughs, instead taking the more difficult route of earnestness.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • Out of loyalty to her father, Rhaenyra refuses, eventually deciding to send him north to the Wall.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of refuses
Verb
  • Previous controversy While the Missouri Young Republicans group rejects the core of the allegations, the lawsuit isn’t the first time a young Republican organization has courted controversy.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
  • Over the decades of Catcher’s fame, the novel has gained a reputation as the tale of a teenager who rejects nearly everything.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of rejects
Verb
  • Many international students pay full tuition, turning them an increasingly important source of revenue as domestic enrollment declines.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Alan Jackson declines comment With that, the judge left the bench, taking no comment or questions from the lawyers present.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of declines

Browse Nearby Words

turns color
turns down
turns in
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Cite this Entry

“Turns down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turns%20down. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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