turn down

turn down idiom
  1. Fold or double down, as in They always turn down your bed here, or Turn down your collar. [c. 1600]
  2. Invert, as in She turned down her cards, or They turn down the glasses in the cupboard. [Mid-1700s]
  3. Reject, fail to accept, as in They turned down his proposal, or Joe was turned down at four schools before he was finally accepted. [Late 1800s]
  4. Diminish in volume, brightness, or speed. For example, Please turn down the radio; it's too loud, or They turned down the lights and began to dance. [Second half of 1800s]

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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