From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishturn away phrasal verb1 turn somebody ↔ awayENTER to refuse to let someone enter a place or join an organization, for example because it is full The show was so popular police had to turn people away. Thousands of applicants are turned away each year.2 turn somebody ↔ awayIGNORE to refuse to give someone sympathy, help, or support Anyone who comes to us will not be turned away. The insurance company has promised not to turn away its existing customers.3 turn (somebody) away from somebody/something to stop supporting someone, or stop using or being interested in something, or to make someone do this Consumers are turning away from credit cards. events that turned Henry away from his family → turn→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
turn away• The scene was so sickening I had to turn away.• However, the children arrived on September 3 and were turned away.• Of course, alone I would have been turned away.• Hundreds of disappointed fans were turned away at the gates.• The club's so popular, we have to turn people away every night.• She frowned and turned away from him without speaking.• A number of vessels were turned away in the following days.• Alice turned away with tears in her eyes.turn (somebody) away from somebody/something• I turn slightly away from her and count the balance of Haysoos's bills.• He knew exactly what he wanted and he had no intention of having anybody turn him away from his big ideals.• Maxine says, turning her attention away from me.• Instead he slowed down even more and turned farther away from our course.• What could have poisoned past happiness and turned its course away from our future?• Frustration mounting, attention turned toward altercations away from the play.• We will not let our anger turn us away from the pursuit of peace in the Middle East.• I turned abruptly away from them, but I was now very low, heading for a stand of trees. 