turn down

British  

verb

1. to reduce (the volume or brightness) of (something)

   turn the radio down

2. to reject or refuse

3. to fold down (a collar, sheets on a bed, etc)

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adjective

1. (prenominal) capable of being or designed to be folded or doubled down

turn down Idioms  

1. Fold or double down, as in They always turn down your bed here , or Turn down your collar . [c. 1600]

2. Invert, as in She turned down her cards , or They turn down the glasses in the cupboard . [Mid-1700s]

3. Reject, fail to accept, as in They turned down his proposal , or Joe was turned down at four schools before he was finally accepted . [Late 1800s]

4. Diminish in volume, brightness, or speed. For example, Please turn down the radio; it's too loud , or They turned down the lights and began to dance . [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

“It’s not like we can call parents for backup care. I had to turn down the job.”

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

Polls and other research show that the American people want the nation’s leaders to turn down the political temperature.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

As someone who minored in journalism, he’d always loved writing, but ChatGPT’s efficiency gains were hard to turn down.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Still waiting for Doncic and Reaves to return, the Lakers can’t turn down any advantageous shots, coach JJ Redick said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

We are so close I forget where I am; instead I notice that the corners of his mouth turn down naturally, just like mine, and that he has a scar on his chin.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• dismiss
• rebuff
• refuse
• spurn