turn away

turn away idiom
  1. Send away, dismiss, as in They ran short and had to turn away many customers. [Late 1500s]
  2. Repel, as in The high prices turned away prospective buyers.
  3. Avert, deflect, as in She managed to turn away all criticism. [Late 1300s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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