turn down
Britishverb
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to reduce (the volume or brightness) of (something)
turn the radio down
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to reject or refuse
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to fold down (a collarsheets on a bedetc)
adjective
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Fold or double downas in They always turn down your bed here or Turn down your collar . [c. 1600]
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Invertas in She turned down her cards or They turn down the glasses in the cupboard . [Mid-1700s]
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Rejectfail to acceptas in They turned down his proposal or Joe was turned down at four schools before he was finally accepted . [Late 1800s]
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Diminish in volumebrightnessor speed. For examplePlease turn down the radio; it's too loud or They turned down the lights and began to dance . [Second half of 1800s]
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.
"I cannot turn down this opportunity to join an incredible clubincredible squad who are Club World Cup champions," Rosenior said.
From BBC
She turned down the advances of Louis Armstrong.
From BBC
“That is an opportunity you cannot turn down,” he sayseven though he only had a week to prepare the most famous soliloquies in the Western canon.
From Los Angeles Times
Hargeisa has also turned down all economic and diplomatic overtures from Moscow.
She has also seen homeless people turn down accommodation so they can stay with their pets.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridgedbased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary© Random HouseInc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 200220011995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
