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

I’m sort of terrified, but I also feel like I need to not turn a blind eye to it.

From Los Angeles Times

The parents’ attorney, Robert Glassman, said in a statement that camps have a responsibility to assess the safety of places where kids play, and public entities should not turn a blind eye to obviously dangerous conditions.

From Los Angeles Times

He added that he believed the government would not "turn a blind eye to the current illegal and unconstitutional situation".

From BBC

And would Uefa turn a blind eye to a stadium return after such a long jaunt?

From BBC

Mr Newham said that with Gen Mkhwanazi seen as the "cop's cop", the public was willing to turn a blind eye to his officers' alleged abuses because "they want to have a hero in the police".

From BBC