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turn down — 2 meanings

One phrase, 2 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb2 meanings
  1. 1 rejectto refuse an offer, invitation, or request.
  2. 2 reduce volume or heatto make something, like the sound or heat, lower or less strong.
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1

reject

B1turn down sthMost common

to refuse an offer, invitation, or request.

He turned down the invitation to the party because he was too tired.

A: Did you get the job you applied for?
B: They offered it to me, but I turned it down.

If I were offered a job abroad, I would probably turn it down because I want to stay close to my family.

Common mistake

They turned down me for the role.

They turned me down for the role.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'turn me down'.

Tell it apart

She turned down the promotion.

rejected it

Could you turn down the music?

lower the volume
Use 'turn down' when you say no to something offered to you, like a job, invitation, or help.Not the same as 'turn off,' which means to stop something working.

Often paired with

turn down + offer
2

reduce volume or heat

B1turn down sthspoken

to make something, like the sound or heat, lower or less strong.

Could you turn down the music? It's too loud.

A: It's getting really hot in here.
B: I'll turn down the heating.

When I study, I always turn down the volume on my phone so I can concentrate better.

Common mistake

Can you turn down it?

Can you turn it down?

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'turn it down'.

Tell it apart

Turn the music down.

lower the volume

She turned down the offer.

rejected it
Use 'turn down' when you want to make something quieter or cooler, like music or the heating.Different from 'turn off,' which means to stop something completely.

Often paired with

turn down + level

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