turning blind eye
Pretending not seeing
Turning a blind eye means deliberately ignoring something you know is happening, especially wrongdoing or rule-breaking: The manager turned a blind eye to employees leaving early.
The phrase suggests willful ignorance rather than genuine unawareness—you see the problem but choose not to acknowledge it.
Often used with "to": turning a blind eye to corruption.
- ignoringDeliberately not noticing
- overlookingFailing to see or consider
- look the other wayWillfully ignore misconduct
- dismissingRemoving from position
- willfulIntentionally unyielding
ignorance · complicit · silence · denial · pretending · see no evil · oblivious · negligence · indifference · looking away · coverup · enabling · excusing · concealing · tolerating · disregarding · condoning · tacit approval
- self-deceptiondenial, delusion, wishful thinking, rationalization, false belief
- inactioninaction, passivity, doing nothing, stillness, immobility
- Excusingjustifying, forgiving, pardoning, condoning, rationalizing
- dilemmasdilemma, moral dilemma, ethical dilemma, tough call, lesser evil
- negligenceneglect, gross negligence, criminal negligence, medical negligence, negligence
- ignoranceignorance, unawareness, nescience, in the dark, clueless
turning blind eyewhistleblowing
Exposing hidden wrongdoing internally
blowing the whistle · reporting · exposing · calling out · speaking up
turning blind eyewatching like a hawk
Monitoring with fierce attention
scrutinizing · monitoring · investigating · looking into · examining
turning blind eyeholding to account
Demanding responsibility for actions
cracking down · enforcing · confronting · challenging · standing up against
turn, turning, turned, turns, turner, turnable, overturn, return, blind