Turn down

1 not accept 2 adjust to reduce

1 Not accept

Things seemed to be going fine until he was turned down for a loan.

Meaning

Reject or not accept something like a job, an offer or an invitation.

Why down?

Down is used in some phrasal verbs with the idea of things failing, not going well or being reduced somehow.

Check out more phrasal verbs with the same preposition logic in Logic > Down.

Collocations

So, what words go together with turn down?

turn down
offer
job
invitation
application
request
idea
deal
role
plea
demand
proposal
opportunity
position
chance

Examples

subject  verb  object

He turned down the invitation because of other commitments.
I turned down the job because the salary was too low.
He has turned down the offer of a new contract with the club.
She initially turned down the idea.
She turned down the opportunity of a lifetime.
Nobody would turn down a chance like that.
Her visa application was turned down.
I was devastated when she turned down my proposal.
She kept turning down requests to appear on the show.
They have no reason to turn down our demand.
He turned down the appointment because of a conflict of interest.
The board was unanimous in its decision to turn down the deal.
He turned down a move to Barcelona, saying he felt completely at home at Atletico Madrid.
She turned down the position citing personal reasons.
The actor turned down the part because he felt it was too commercial.
He turned down the role of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight.
The referee turned down a very strong penalty claim early in the game.
He turned down a place at university to pursue a career in business instead.
The court turned down his plea for bail.

Grammar

separable You can separate this phrasal verb in this context. Someone turns down something or someone turns something down.

He turned down the job.
He turned the job down.

2 Adjust to reduce

Don't forget to turn down the heat when you leave.

Meaning

Adjust the volume or level of something to reduce it.

Examples

Can you please turn down the volume?
We had to ask him to turn down the music.
Don't forget to turn down the heat when you leave.
She turned down the radio a bit so that it wouldn't disturb him.
She was trying to sleep so I turned down the TV.

Grammar

separable You can separate this phrasal verb in this context. Someone turns down something or someone turns something down.

He turned down the music.
He turned the music down.