turning away
Rotating to leave
Turning away is the act of moving one's face or body in a different direction, typically to avoid looking at something or someone.
It often signals rejection, disgust, or emotional withdrawal: She couldn't bear the news and found herself turning away.
The phrase extends to refusal more broadly—turning away customers means declining to serve them, and turning away from a belief means abandoning it.
The bouncer kept turning away anyone without ID.
Act of declining
- dismissalRemoval from position
- rebuffAbrupt, curt rejection
- spurningContemptuously refusing or dismissing
- repudiationFormal refusal to accept
denial · snub · brush-off · declination · nonacceptance · exclusion · disapproval · renunciation
Act of escaping detection
- shunningDeliberately avoiding someone
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- deflectionChange in trajectory
recoil · aversion · withdrawing · retreat · bypassing · circumvention · eluding · escape
Change of course
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- reroutingSending by different path
- channelingDirecting flow or energy
- distractionThing diverting one's attention
detour · sidetracking · divergence · veering · deviation · leading astray
refusal
Act of declining
- dismissalRemoval from position
- rebuffAbrupt, curt rejection
- spurningContemptuously refusing or dismissing
repudiation · denial · snub · brush-off · declination · nonacceptance · exclusion · disapproval · renunciation · cold shoulder
evasion
Act of escaping detection
- shunningDeliberately avoiding someone
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
deflection · recoil · aversion · withdrawing · retreat · bypassing · circumvention · eluding · escape · abstention
redirection
Change of course
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- reroutingSending by different path
- channelingDirecting flow or energy
distraction · detour · sidetracking · divergence · veering · deviation · leading astray
- driving awayrepelling, banishing, forcing out, warding off, fending off
- escape responsesfleeing, flight, escaping, escape, hiding
- defensive gesturesflinching, cowering, cringing, ducking, recoiling
- passive aggressionsilent treatment, backhanded compliments, backhanded compliment, cold shoulder, eye rolling
- showing disapprovalbooing, hissing, jeering, frowning, scowling
- withdrawalwithdrawing, cash withdrawal, ATM withdrawal, early withdrawal, fund withdrawal
turning awayfacing
Directed toward something
approaching · turning to · turning around · leaning in · wheeling around
turning awayattending to
Giving focus or care
turning to · tuning in · zeroing in · homing in · paying attention
turn, return, away, turning, turned, overturn, returning, downturn, upturned