turn away

verb

Definition of turn awaynext
as in to repel
to drive back using tree branches, the campers were able to turn away the charging fox, which was apparently rabid

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of turn away Elk turn away from the fence surrounding Cielo Vista, in this image taken by a local resident. — Anna Alejo, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 But DeepSeek is vetting prospective investors closely, turning away private investment funds raised from individual investors and limiting the pool largely to government and corporate funds, the people said. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 The need has existed and continues to grow while institutional and industry support keep turning away. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026 The report revealed that 85% of providers in the United States experienced moderate or severe staffing challenges in the past year and 55% have had to turn away people in need of care due to inadequate staffing. — STAT, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turn away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turn away
  1. repel
  2. turn back
  3. resist
  4. repulse
  5. beat off
  6. stave off
Verb
  • The wax repels liquid water but keeps tiny pores, so vapor can still escape.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The law prohibits federal officials from stationing troops or armed personnel at polling places, except when necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.
    — TIME Staff, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of repel
Verb
  • Tight end Travis Kelce looks like he’s turned back the clock for Kansas City, which is running the ball well.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • An Israeli military official said its fighter jets had turned back before the plane landed at Tabuk.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of turn back
Verb
  • Gibson was convicted of unlawful gun possession and misdemeanor resisting arrest for not exiting the elevator, but the jury acquitted him of felony resisting arrest.
    — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • However, experts on military law said Hasan could choose to resist execution and file a habeas petition in civilian court, which could significantly delay the execution.
    — Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • Her widowed aunt plays chaperone as Susanna attends heady lectures and repulses her many suitors.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of repulse
Verb
  • Spurs beat off competition from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain to sign Fernandes, while Manchester City were interested in Tonali.
    — Jay Harris, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Happiness beat off competition from second place The Flaws, an absurdist comedy for ZDF that won the official competition at the same fest.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Definition of beat off
Verb
  • Florian Wirtz starred as Germany defeated Serbia 2-0 in Munich for Klopp’s first win at the third attempt — staving off an unwanted record.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Still, SpaceX made adjustments to the vehicle’s engines to try to stave off such problems, so engineers will likely need to pursue further tweaks.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of stave off

Browse Nearby Words

turnarounds
turn away
turn back
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turn away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turn%20away. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All