Turn away means to refuse to let someone in, to send them away at the door, or to refuse to help them. It's usually about a club, restaurant, hospital or border: if you weren't let in, you were turned away. The second meaning is to turn your head or body so you don't have to look at someone or something.
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turn + someone + away (from + place); be turned away (at the door); turn away (from + someone/something) = look the other way
- The restaurant was fully booked, so they had to turn away several groups of tourists.
- A good hospital never turns away patients who need urgent help.
- He turned away and pretended to read his phone when his ex walked in.
What changed
First versionThe bouncer turned me down at the door because I was wearing trainers.
RevisionThe bouncer turned me away at the door because I was wearing trainers.
Both phrasal verbs involve some kind of refusal, which is why people mix up turn down and turn away. Turn down means to reject an offer, application or invitation: turn down a job offer. When someone isn't allowed in and is sent away from the door, you need turn away.
In its second meaning, turn away is close to look away, but they're not the same. Look away means only to move your eyes. Turn away means to turn your head or your whole body: She turned away so the children wouldn't see her crying.
Your turn
The concert was sold out, so security ___ hundreds of fans without tickets at the gate.
Show the answer
turned away — Fans without tickets came to the gate, and security didn't let them in. That's turned away. Turned down is used for offers and applications, and the people at the gate weren't offering anything; they wanted to get in.
Describe a time you or people you know weren't allowed in somewhere: a club, a museum, a flight. Say where it was and why.
Last summer my friends and I were turned away from a rooftop bar because one of us was wearing shorts.
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