Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

look the other way

Idioms  

  1. Deliberately overlook something, especially something of an illicit nature. For example, They're not really entitled to a discount but the sales manager decided to look the other way. This expression uses the other way in the sense of “away from what is normal or expected.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is trying to get valuations back in line with reality, by punishing firms that mismark their companies and auditors that look the other way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The Dodgers are once again asking a significant portion of their fans to look the other way, but how can they look the other way when these developments affect many of them directly?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2025

Fans are questioning whether the official site had taken adequate steps to prevent this, or whether it chose to look the other way.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2024

“I said ‘you’ve got to be strong and look the other way, because these people don’t know who you are’,” Benedict told the outlet, adding: “I didn’t know how bad it had gotten.”

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2024

And today, we’ll look the other way while you do business at the fence.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.