turn away
Britishverb
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to move or cause to move in a different direction so as not to face something
one of the child turned away while the others hid
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(tr) to refuse admittance or assistance to
dozens of people were turned away from the hostel
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Send away, dismiss, as in They ran short and had to turn away many customers . [Late 1500s]
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Repel, as in The high prices turned away prospective buyers .
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Avert, deflect, as in She managed to turn away all criticism . [Late 1300s]
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.
Instead of trying not to turn away, allow yourself to notice when you’re doing so.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
But the real danger is indifference—and indifference is a product of not permitting oneself to turn away in reflection.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
He said long-standing questions about Chávez’s record “led a lot of us to turn away from his folkloric status.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026
The rally was led by tech firms, which have been at the forefront of regional gains this year as traders turn away from Wall Street to seek out cheaper investments amid concerns about extended valuations.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
I turn away, embarrassed to have been caught staring.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
