From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishturn somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb1 QUIETREDUCEto turn the switch on a machine such as an oven, radio etc so that it produces less heat, sound etc OPP turn up Can you turn the TV down? I’m trying to work.2 REJECT/NOT ACCEPTto refuse an offer, request, or invitation They offered her the job but she turned it down. I’m not going to turn down an invitation to go to New York! Josie’s already turned him down (=refused his offer of marriage). → turn→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
turn down• And then he turned it down.• And your life is about to be turned upside down.• Not many young men were courted by Stalin's daughter - and had the nerve to turn her down.• Putting me on for, you know, turning him down.• BFor utility planners, the world was turned upside down, almost overnight.• Oliver Mowat turned him down, and that was that.• By the by Sylvia de Charmante made a huge pass at him and he turned her down flat.• The Michigan Supreme Court turned her down in 1994 and on Monday, the Supreme Court affirmed that opinion.turned him down• Brown initially had tried to name Longo to the Transportation Commission, but Longo turned him down.• Management, unfortunately, turned him down.• Six times in eight years he pleaded that they send him and six times they turned him down.• Oliver Mowat turned him down, and that was that.• And when Bill Elasky tried to suggest a project of his own design the students turned him down flat.• But when she turned him down he married her sister instead.• Maybe she just turned him down once too often.From Longman Business Dictionaryturn down phrasal verb1[transitive] turn something → down to refuse an offer or requestHe turned down a job at an investment bank.2[intransitive] if an economy etc turns down, the level of activity etc falls, companies become less profitable etcWhen the economy turns down, the aerospace industry suffers too, however exciting the projects. → see also downturn → turn→ See Verb table 