From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlook the other waylook the other wayto ignore something bad that is happening and not try to stop it Prison guards looked the other way as the man was attacked by fellow prisoners. → look
Examples from the Corpus
look the other way• Our safe places were attacked by hooligans, and the authorities looked the other way.• Running out of time, minding its own business, looking the other way.• The troops, acting on orders, looked the other way.• Turn a deaf ear, look the other way.• Up stepped Purse, who had only just taken over the penalty duties, as 32,000 Brummies looked the other way.• With hindsight it would have saved a lot of heartbreak if he had looked the other way.• He tactfully looked the other way and did not pause in his stride.• Mud pools wait until you are looking the other way before plopping discreetly.• Politicians have looked the other way while children go hungry. 