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.
It marked a sharp turn away from the US to China, and a particularly unwelcome one for American car firms, which have long dominated the Canadian market.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
But the merged company will now need all the cash flow it can muster to service a substantial debt load, so it is unlikely to fully turn away from the biggest payer in town.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026
Or maybe this just shows how thirsty we are for a chance to turn away from current events for a moment.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
So much so that he is having to turn away customers.
From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025
“Normally I’m not one to bend the rules, but how can I turn away a child with such splendid taste in clothing? However unintentional.”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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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.