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 feels a little big, but they got a good deal on it and I wasn’t going to turn down a free car.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 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

That premium would be tough to turn down, although regulatory roadblocks remain.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

This may also include issuing rare notices to power stations telling them they may need to turn down output to ensure safety in periods of low demand.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

I never turn down a chance to play, so I quickly pull the Casio out of its case and set it up on the dining room table.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

• dismiss
• rebuff
• refuse
• spurn