Definition

1. Verb (Transitive):
   • To refuse entry, admission, or service to someone; to send someone away.
   • To cause someone or something to move so that they are no longer facing a particular person or thing; to avert or deflect.
2. Verb (Intransitive):
   • To move oneself so as to face a different direction; to look away.

Usage and Examples

• Verb (Transitive):

  • The nightclub turned away anyone not wearing formal attire. (They refused entry to those not dressed formally.)
  • She turned away her face to hide her tears. (She moved her face so it was no longer visible.)
  • The charity cannot turn away people in need. (The charity cannot refuse to help those in need.)

• Verb (Intransitive):

  • He turned away in disgust when the violent scene appeared on screen. (He moved his head/body to avoid looking at the screen.)
  • I turned away for just a moment, and my bag was gone. (I looked in another direction briefly.)

Advanced Usage

• "To turn away from something": To stop being involved with or interested in something; to abandon or reject a course of action, belief, or habit.
  • After the scandal, many voters turned away from the party. (They stopped supporting the party.)
  • He turned away from a life of crime. (He abandoned a criminal lifestyle.)

Variants and Related Words

• Turnaway (noun, rare): An instance of turning someone away or being turned away.
  • The event was a complete turnaway; hundreds couldn't get in.

Synonyms

• Refuse: To decline to accept or grant something.
• Reject: To dismiss as inadequate or unacceptable.
• Repel: To drive or force back; to cause aversion.
• Avert: To turn away or aside (one's eyes, thoughts, etc.).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Turn down: To reject an offer or request. (This is a close synonym for the "refuse" meaning but is used for non-physical offers like jobs or proposals).
  • They turned down my application.
• Turn back: To cause someone to go back the way they came; to reverse direction.
  • Police turned back the protesters at the bridge.

Related Idioms

• To turn a blind eye: To deliberately ignore or pretend not to notice something (similar in concept to one's gaze).
  • The manager turned a blind eye to the minor safety violations.
• To turn one's back on: To abandon, reject, or refuse to help someone or something.
  • He turned his back on his family when he became famous. (This implies a more permanent and complete rejection than turn away).

Verb

1. turn away or aside
   • They averted their eyes when the King entered
2. refuse entrance or membership
   • They turned away hundreds of fans
   • Black people were often rejected by country clubs
3. turn from a straight course, fixed direction, or line of interest
4. move so as not face somebody or something