turn a blind eye to

Idioms  

1. Deliberately overlook, ignore, as in She decided to turn a blind eye to her roommate's goings-on. This expression is believed to come from the siege of Copenhagen (1801), in which Lord Horatio Nelson, second in command of the English fleet, was ordered to withdraw but pretended not to see the flagship's signals to do so by putting his glass to the eye that had been blinded in an earlier battle. His attack led to a major victory. Also see turn a deaf ear.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turn a blind eye to

He said ministers "cannot turn a blind eye to this national safety scandal" and mothers "deserve safe, compassionate care".

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

It’s no longer possible to turn a blind eye to the horrible places our culture is headed.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Investors can’t turn a blind eye to rising transportation costs, Reid says.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

“We therefore cannot afford to turn a blind eye to global overcapacity reaching critical levels.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

Most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they're as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

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