turn down - Definition & Meaning

turn down

Third Person

turns down

Present Participle

turning down

Past Tense

turned down

Past Participle

turned down

to decline an invitation, request, or offer

She turned the job offer down due to conflicting commitments.
Can you turn the invitation down gracefully, explaining your prior engagement?
The team turned the sponsorship offer down, as it didn't align with their values.
The landlord turned down the rent increase, mindful of tenant affordability.
The city council turned down the rezoning proposal, respecting community concerns.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

to turn a switch on a device so that it makes less sound, heat, etc.

transitive

Before bed, my mother always turns down the volume of our TV.
In the movie theatre, the staff will turn down the lights when the film starts.
My neighbors asked me to turn down the music last night because it was too loud.
Tomorrow, I will turn down the thermostat before leaving for work to save energy.
Yesterday, I turned down the air conditioner as it was getting chilly.

Synonyms:

to reject someone and prevent them from entering a place or becoming a member of a group or organization

She turned the offer back, unimpressed with its terms.
They turned the suggestion back, expressing their disagreement.
The customer turned the product back, unsatisfied with its quality.
They turned the job offer back, dissatisfied with the salary.
The candidate reluctantly had to turn down the offer of admission to the prestigious university.

Synonyms:

(of a business or economy) to become less busy or profitable

to adjust the position of something by flipping or rotating it downward

The artist turned the canvas down to work on the lower section.
She turned the document down to read the footnotes.
The chef turned the pancake down for even cooking.
Please turn the poster down to reveal the information at the bottom.
In the game of poker, players often turn down their hole cards to keep them hidden from opponents.