turning away

verb

present participle of turn away
as in turning back
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 turning away Almost half of traders, portfolio managers and strategists in a recent Bloomberg poll support wearing shorts to work, but men in Silicon Valley are turning away from the look of the scruffy tech genius in shorts and flip-flops. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 Slightly turning away from the camera, Schiffer revealed that the back of her bikini top was held together with the netting. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026 But with burnout on the rise in health care, many clinicians are turning away students. — Colleen Connolly, STAT, 24 Aug. 2026 Programs like the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative, which funded over 100 companies, two-thirds of them small businesses, while turning away over 300, illustrate that fierce, Darwinian competition is both inevitable and healthy in this sector. — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 The construction activity prompted protests in and around the national park, and local businesses have been turning away federal contractors who are working on the project. — Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 American public opinion is turning away from unconditional support of Israel since Israel’s genocide in Gaza. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 At present, prison abolitionists have demanded new conditions for addressing racial capital, turning away from the brutal system of punitive measures to a framework of racial repair. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 Some are even turning away from other top-tier brands due to lack of transparency. — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turning away
  1. turning back
  2. repulsing
  3. repelling
  4. resisting
  5. beating off
Verb
  • While her music has remained a fixture on country charts, the latest results show listeners are turning back to her catalog across formats and generations following her death.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Thus, Kansas City’s best cornerback lineup may include the young corners outside, with Sneed turning back the clock four seasons and manning the nickel.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning back
Verb
  • While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Definition of repulsing
Verb
  • This is more than a sophisticated arms race aimed at repelling threats and protecting borders.
    — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Build Forward Ukraine team was also aware of Irpin and the special role the city had played in the dark early days, repelling the Russian ground offensive aimed at taking Kyiv, 14 miles south.
    — Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of repelling
Verb
  • Stanley is accused of blocking Rajabi’s car with his body, punching Rajabi’s window and resisting arrest.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • While half of Gen-Z use AI weekly, 48% of young working people now believe the risks of AI outweigh the benefits, and 44% of Gen-Z workers (subscription required) surveyed in one report admit to actively resisting their companies' AI efforts.
    — Michael Chavira, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of resisting
Verb
  • Liverpool are keen for the 21-year-old to gain regular senior experience with Hartberg beating off competition from a number of clubs in Switzerland and France.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of beating off

Browse Nearby Words

turning around
turning away
turning back
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turning away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turning%20away. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All