turn away

verb

1. 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

2. (tr) to refuse admittance or assistance to

   dozens of people were turned away from the hostel

Idioms and Phrases

Send away, dismiss, as in They ran short and had to turn away many customers . [Late 1500s]

Repel, as in The high prices turned away prospective buyers .

Avert, deflect, as in She managed to turn away all criticism . [Late 1300s]

Example Sentences

In settlements close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, health officials are turning away patients seeking treatment for bacterial infections in favor of more urgent cases, aid officials say.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, Russian crude exports have been lowered with some buyers turning away, and China is reported buying more Middle East crude, he adds.

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Heaney was born with a subject he often resisted, and “Digging” turns away from violence to the civilizing necessity of work.

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John Doe 1 “immediately withdrew, turned away and left.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Pre-planned or elective care is put on hold but at no point does the NHS have to turn away emergency patients.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• backfire 
• balk 
• blanch 
• blink 
• cringe 
• demur 
• flinch 
• hesitate 
• reel 
• shudder 
• tremble 
• waver 
• wince